Now, pay attention and take our advice. Save press releases, correspondence, photos, voice recordings, screenshots, and any other information that proves you didn’t make up the published information yourself. If anyone questions you, you’ll be able to show the original source.

And remember, learning journalism is 10 percent theory and 90 percent practice. Read press releases and articles, write and write some more, collaborate with different media outlets and online portals.

Let’s talk about money and various opportunities. As you’ve probably noticed by now, there’s a constant competition for resources in this world. So, what additional resources (money, opportunities) can a journalist expect? There are interesting options beyond salary and fees, and we’ll look at some of them. But first, let’s briefly talk about working in an editorial office versus freelancing.

Our second homes were the editorial offices we worked in. Perhaps we were simply lucky, but we worked with polite, intellectual, and attentive people. A full-time journalist’s job means you go to work in the morning and leave in the evening. However, you won’t need to stay in the office every day, which many journalists enjoy. In the morning, the editor gives you an assignment, and you head out — to a seminar, an art exhibition, or an interview with a minister. In the afternoon, you return to the office and, if possible, prepare your piece — writing everything you want to say about what you saw and heard.

Freelance work is structured differently. If you offer your services as an article writer and send proposals to different editorial offices, some will reply, “Yes, of course, send in your articles as a freelance journalist.” This type of work has its downsides (lack of stability, lower income), but also its advantages (working with different media outlets, freedom of action, etc.).

Competitions. Occasionally, article competitions are held for journalists. These may be organized by foundations, NGOs, government agencies, or private organizations. Typically, the competition is announced with a specific theme, such as “environmental protection” or “anti-corruption.” A deadline is set for submission. There may be a specific application form to complete, and the timeframe during which articles should have been published is specified.

You write an article, publish it, and submit it to the competition organizers. You might not even need to write a new article specifically for the competition if you recently covered a relevant topic. Competitions often award winners with monetary prizes and valuable gifts.
Information about competitions, as well as grants, which we’ll discuss in the following paragraphs, can be found on websites or through journalism-related email newsletters.

Grants, scholarships, internships. Grant programs, scholarship competitions, and internship opportunities are periodically announced, open to journalists. Here’s a made-up, but realistic example: “Sunlight” company announces a journalism scholarship competition to cover solar energy development in the media. Journalists submit applications, and organizers select the most suitable candidates. In the end, winners receive a substantial sum for their work over six months, provided they publish six articles on the announced topic.

Or, it could be a travel grant competition for journalists. Want to attend the World Cup — on someone else’s dime, then write about it and get paid? Here’s a chance — participate in the competition. These are just hypothetical examples. It might be a grant for university studies, a scholarship for bloggers, or a grant for contributions to journalism. It could also be an internship, where journalists are competitively selected to work at renowned publications, with all travel, accommodation, and meal expenses covered by the organizers.

Keep an eye out for competitions, search the internet, and check websites dedicated to competitions and journalism.

Seminars, trainings, conferences. If you want to travel to different cities and countries, apply to participate in various educational events. The principle is the same: find the information and apply. In the vast majority of cases, organizers cover all expenses.

It’s worth noting that in all cases (grants, internships, competitions), you don’t have to be a full-time journalist to participate. You just need to feel like a journalist and publish your work occasionally.

Stay on the lookout for resource opportunities. Ask yourself — where can I participate? Visit themed websites, sign up for email newsletters, and take part in competitions.