Eliminating "freelance" from my title...

much ado about nothing ... as refhack said, it's not like some ME wouldn't know one made up title from another ... I have always been proud to be a stringer. I don't think anyone has ever looked down on me because I'm "not on staff". And if they did, I'd just beat them on the story ...

 

I still like media mercenary. There is no stigma from being a freelancer. Staff writer or correspondent, you're still a sportswriter and a journalist.

 

Will write for fries.

 

FWIW, if I were hiring someone for a newspaper writing job and had the choice of a freelancer vs. a staff writer with everything else equal, I'd hire the staff writer every time.

 

but, as you know, not everything is ever equal

 

True. I'd hire you, Dan.

 

Everything was encouraging until this post. Thank you.

 

I would have said the same thing 10 years ago, but the old paradigm really doesn't apply anymore. The business has changed; the world of business has changed. Titles and employment status don't matter. The only thing that still does is whether you can do the job. Have good clips, have good references, and know your industry -- and your chances are the same. And, yes, I hire people.

 

I would identify myself as a sportswriter by occupation, then add in the description of duties "regular contributor to the Podunk Press, etc." It shows you did more than one story for them, that you have an ongoing relationship.

 

Talk to you editors about an official title...you could also identify yourself by your most consistent beat...preps writer, Baylor basketball writer, etc.

 

It's silly to quibble over a title when you're not on staff.

 

There used to be a media softball league here. One of the teams was from a group called Independent Writers of Southern California. They were all freelancers. We called them the Umemployeds.