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Freelance journalist skills for your resume and career
Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Quoted experts
Assistant Professor Dorren Robinson,
Aaron DeRosa Ph.D.
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical freelance journalist skills. We ranked the top skills for freelance journalists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 14.8% of freelance journalist resumes contained web content as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a freelance journalist needs to be successful in the workplace.
15 freelance journalist skills for your resume and career
1. Web Content
Here's how freelance journalists use web content:
- Provided website consultation, developed and edited web content for The Make Agency and others.
- General assignment and investigative reporter Skills & Expertise Storytelling Magazines Feature Articles Non-fiction Freelance Writing Journalism Web Content Copy Editing Blogging
2. Local News
Here's how freelance journalists use local news:
- Serve as regular on-call journalist for station when newsroom needs extra help, produce/report the local news as needed.
- United States Reporter/Photographer I worked as a freelance reporter as well as a photographer for the local newspaper.
3. Feature Stories
Here's how freelance journalists use feature stories:
- Write several feature stories about campus and student life including an interview with the Dean of Students, a graduating U.S.
- Write news, reviews, profiles, and feature stories for a variety of newspapers, magazines and websites.
4. Photography
Here's how freelance journalists use photography:
- Performed photography to support articles on limited basis.
- Fulfilled multifaceted duties that included reporting, news/feature writing, photography, researching, fact checking, proofreading and editing.
5. News Stories
News Story is a term that is quite self-explanatory as it refers to all the information that is recorded either in writing or as an interview and aims to inform the public about any particular matter, event, idea or mishap. A news story can be very short as well lengthy depending on the type and quantity of content and consist of relevant facts and figures.
Here's how freelance journalists use news stories:
- Interviewed accomplished Turkish-American scientists and crafted news stories.
- Research and produce SEO content, news stories, features and newsletters for a variety of websites and clients.
6. Press Releases
Here's how freelance journalists use press releases:
- Composed/edited/proofed press releases, one-sheets, album liner notes, album reviews and reviewed major music festivals.
- Rework information from various sources (blog posts, press releases, etc.)
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Here's how freelance journalists use news articles:
- Published online news articles regarding national and international music artists.
- Gathered information for news articles and published them for the school newspaper.
8. Writing Articles
Here's how freelance journalists use writing articles:
- Attended weekly section meetings, writing articles under the supervision of editors.
- Acquired advanced proficiency in writing articles conforming to Associated Press style
9. Conduct Interviews
Conduct interview is the ability of an individual - the interviewer, to communicate formally or face to face with someone from whom the interviewer is gathering information. The interviewer controls the order of the questions and can ensure that all questions are answered. The purpose of conducting interview is to be able to assess the suitability of the candidate being interviewed for a specific position.
Here's how freelance journalists use conduct interviews:
- Conduct interviews and research, staying on top of emerging trends within the industry and the latest news on athletes.
- Research players and sports background information, conduct interviews, and write exposes on players and staff.
10. Edit Articles
Here's how freelance journalists use edit articles:
- Write and/or edit articles for publications (general-interest newspapers, institutional publications) periodically.
- Write and edit articles highlighting individual Clemson University athletes with inspiring stories
11. Local Events
Here's how freelance journalists use local events:
- Cover bi-monthly school board meetings, Nevada School District news, and various local events.
- Displayed objectivity while reporting local events and school news.
12. SEO
Here's how freelance journalists use seo:
- Edit content to conform with organization's style guide, improve readability and SEO.
- Used SEO to fulfill clients' needs and generate Internet traffic where desired.
13. Blog Posts
Blog post refers to information that you write on a blog. It can include content in the form of text, photos, infographics, or videos.
Here's how freelance journalists use blog posts:
- Attracted new, more-engaged readers to the site through unique and easy-to-digest blog posts on InsiderCarNews.com.
- Formatted multimedia blog posts on various CMS programs and contributed to live blogging of special events.
14. Photoshop
Here's how freelance journalists use photoshop:
- Modified and resized photos utilizing Photoshop.
- Created multi-page section using Adobe PageMaker and Photoshop for layout and design.
15. Human Interest Stories
Here's how freelance journalists use human interest stories:
- Chronicled and previewed Human Interest stories throughout the Community as assigned by the Managing Editor under strict deadlines.
- Developed, reported and wrote compelling human interest stories
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What skills help Freelance Journalists find jobs?
Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.
What freelance journalist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Assistant Professor Dorren Robinson
Assistant Professor of Journalism, Belmont University
Now more than ever, we need journalists to hold those in power accountable and write unbiased, ethically sourced stories. Journalists can inform, educate and help create a more informed society that leads to a strong democracy. Journalists can uncover corruption, lift up the marginalized and explain complex international issues as well as telling audiences about their local communities.
What technical skills for a freelance journalist stand out to employers?
Aaron DeRosa Ph.D.
Associate Professor, 20th/21st C. American Literature, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
English majors find homes in every major industry because they are trained to think about the precision of language and its impact, to critically think through problems and imagine the implications of the projects they work on, and to conduct sound research while being critical of the material they encounter. They do this whether the field is technical writing, advertising, law, journalism, publishing, teaching, retail, or whatever new positions arise in the years to come.
What soft skills should all freelance journalists possess?
Jason Whittaker Ph.D.
Head of School of English & Journalism, Lincoln University
Among the key skills for graduates, some of these remain the same as before, particularly in terms of being able to communicate clearly, analyse information, and engage creatively with problem solving. The past year, however, has really brought to the fore the importance of resilience in our students, especially as they will need to be even more flexible as their careers develop in the future. We spend a considerable amount of time working on building confidence among our students, so that rather than being overwhelmed by rapid change they see this as a challenge and opportunity.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about freelance journalistList of freelance journalist skills to add to your resume
The most important skills for a freelance journalist resume and required skills for a freelance journalist to have include:
- Web Content
- Local News
- Feature Stories
- Photography
- News Stories
- Press Releases
- News Articles
- Writing Articles
- Conduct Interviews
- Edit Articles
- Local Events
- SEO
- Blog Posts
- Photoshop
- Human Interest Stories
- Real Estate
- Social Issues
- Community Events
- Street Journal
- Biographies
- Opinion Pieces
- Blogging
- Proofread
- Editorials
- Metro
- Fiction
- Huffington
- Local Government
- English-Language
- Book Reviews
- Hard News
- Copywriting
- Business Journal
- UK
- Clips
- News Service
- BBC
- Entertainment News
- Photojournalism
- Yahoo
- Morning News
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025