The freelancer directory remains under construction on HSPA’s content-sharing site, hspainfo.net.
Five freelancers from around the state are listed so far, and HSPA is spreading the word to attract more part-time journalists to join.
Access to the directory is free for both freelancers and newspapers. To view it, visit hspainfo.net, hover over “Freelancers” in the top menu bar and click on “Freelancer directory.”
Journalists register online to have their contact information, specialties, experience, references and other information about them listed at hspainfo.net. Newspaper editors can browse the directory to find freelancers with their desired skill sets or from a preferred coverage area.
As newspapers deal with tight budgets, freelancers provide an inexpensive way to create valuable content for print and digital products, said Steve Key, HSPA executive director and general counsel.
“Hiring a freelancer who lives in South Bend is a more cost-effective way to cover a trial that was moved to St. Joseph County, for example, than to pay hotel, food and travel expenses for a full-time reporter,” Key said. “Plus the staff reporter is available to write other stories in your area.”
HSPA encourages member papers to point the freelancers they use to the site to add their names to the directory, a service now offered for free.
“By eliminating sign-up costs, we hopes freelancers will see hspainfo.net as a marketplace where writers and photographers can connect with newspapers looking for help with a particular event or story,” Key said.
Editors contact freelancers directly to work out assignment and compensation arrangements. HSPA is not involved in hiring or payment.
The content-sharing site is a free service for HSPA members that allows editors to share and access other state newspaper content.
Papers give credit to the original source when reprinting.
Though hspainfo.net is primarily to help papers supplement their local and state coverage, HSPA added the freelancer directory to better serve its members, Key said.
“We hope the feature can give editors easy access to a list of qualified freelancers from around the state,” he said.
