Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Rebecca, a seasoned journalist whose journey from a bustling newsroom to the serene life on a farm has been anything but ordinary. With a career spanning daily newspapers, magazines, and even podcast hosting, Rebecca has navigated the complexities of the media industry with grace and adaptability. Join us as we delve into her experiences, insights, and the unique perspective she brings to the world of freelance journalism and public relations.
Hi Rebecca! Thanks again so much for doing this! Firstly, could you tell me how you got into writing/journalism?
I grew up on a farm and always thought I wanted to be a vet. Unfortunately, I was terrible at science and maths. I enjoyed debating at school and love talking to people (some people who know me might say I never stop talking!) so I thought I would go to university and study journalism. My strengths were history and English, and I actually majored in history at uni, and I often think the research aspect of history is very applicable to journalism. I started in daily newspapers straight out of journalism school and never looked back. Journalism has been a wonderful career for me and I’ve never once wished I did something different. I’ve had a fun and varied career, from daily papers to magazines, the press gallery to radio and podcast hosting. It’s never a dull moment.
You’ve worked across multiple publications throughout your career. What made you decide to become a Freelance Journalist?
I was working full-time as editor of NZ Farmers Weekly, a weekly newspaper that goes to all farmers in New Zealand, when I met my husband (a farmer). When I decided to move to the farm, which is fairly remote, I didn’t like the idea of commuting. I was already doing a few bits and pieces for others on the side, so freelancing made sense. It fits around our farming business and family well. With technology these days I can do most things for home, even recording podcasts. I feel lucky I have a job that lends itself well to working from home, and I am extremely motivated, so I don’t find it difficult working alone. I did get a cleaner so I’m not tempted to procrastinate by doing the dishes—best investment ever.
What are some of the challenges of being a freelance writer? What does your media cycle look like and how do you usually plan, pitch and prepare your content?
The cycle is always changing and work can be lumpy, so you need to budget for quieter months. I usually have a number of clients and different projects on the go at any given time and, Murphy's law, often deadlines fall at the same time. It’s just a matter of being organised. I love a good list and am good at keeping track of everything. I try to be flexible and keep learning new skills, like radio and podcasting in recent years. It’s about adapting and being able to provide content across the different mediums clients want.
While I’m a print baby and I’d love to spend my days feature writing, the reality of media these days is that we need to be creating content for multiple channels. My most recent role as editor of Country-Wide magazine is almost full-time and it’s a quarterly publication, so I am planning, commissioning work, and writing a lot of content myself, and taking the magazine through to design/proofing and getting it off to the printer. I also host the weekly podcast and write a weekly EDM newsletter.
Do you have any tips on how to craft a perfect pitch? What’s one unexpected advice you would give to other writers thinking of proposing their ideas to a publication?
I generally work with the same group of trusted contributors for Country-Wide, however, I am always open to a good pitch from others. I want to see a strong brief, why we might feature this particular person or issue,and what’s the point of difference. Demonstrating knowledge of our publication and target audience is also important. Geographical spread is key, as we are a national publication, and I also need to consider photography. How will we illustrate this story? Newsrooms in general are stretched fairly thin. If you make it easy, you’re likely to win. A strong brief, telling me you can deliver it on time and suggesting how we can illustrate it and you’re halfway there. I’m also much more likely to use you again if you deliver on time.
In terms of pitching myself, because I am a farmer and most of the publications I work with are farming related, I ask myself, would my husband read this? Will it help us farm better? Would I learn something from this article or would it inspire me to try something new? And I always meet my deadlines. No excuses.
You also run your own PR business. Tell us more about that and why it’s an important facet of the media industry.
The PR side almost happened by accident. I found there were a lot of small to medium-sized agricultural businesses that wanted to communicate with their customers, but they didn’t necessarily have a marketing or communications person. People asked me to help them with things like newsletters, customer testimonials, press releases or writing website copy. A lot of my business has just been word of mouth. I also found that being a trained journalist, coupled with having a farming background/living on a farm, gave me a point of difference from other agri journalists. My perception is that my clients have valued having someone with the ability to understand a technical or complex topic, and then communicate it in a way that speaks to farmers, or that farmers can relate to.
There is always that tension between PR and media, but good PR has a place. I have sat on both sides of the coin and I can say there are definitely PR people I enjoy working with, who understand both media and farming. They don’t spam my inbox with rubbish. They take the time to cultivate meaningful relationships with key media, understand our deadlines, and know what we are looking for in a potential story. There are certain PR people who I know if an email lands in my inbox, it’s worth opening.
Could you also give us some insight into New Zealand’s media landscape, as you’ve experienced and navigated it? What have been some of the biggest shifts and how have you adapted or overcome them (I’m particularly thinking about the closing of NewsHub and the shrinking opportunities within the media)?
Gosh. How much time have you got? Media is tough, it feels like a shrinking pool. When I started in daily news, we had big newsrooms and rounds, we were a big family and I loved the adrenaline of a morning newspaper. I learned so much from the senior reporters, and the skill of writing on deadline. It seems to me that newsrooms don’t exist like that anymore, the central hubs and the days of local reporters who were on the ground and out in the community have largely gone. Even in agricultural media, it’s ever-evolving. I was co-hosting a radio show, Rural Exchange, which I loved. When TodayFM was turned off, we no longer had a home. That was sad, as I genuinely enjoyed doing radio, and the people I worked with. But that’s life, you have to move on.
Since I first became involved with Country-Wide, some 15 years ago, it has gone from a monthly magazine, to a two-monthly and now, quarterly. In a world where people are spoilt for choice and there is a never-ending barrage of content coming at them, I believe the role of the journalist is still extremely important. Being a trusted, accurate source of credible information will, I hope, always be valued. But how people consume their news is changing.
I believe we have to think about crafting a piece of ‘content’, then figure out where it is best placed. How can we maximise content, its reach and meet the needs of our readers and listeners? Content has to add value. The media pool feels like it is shrinking, but I think the amount of content circulating has increased. It’s a challenge to get cut through at times.
If I had to pick one, I think my strength has been my decision to specialise in two areas–agriculture and equestrian, which I have a huge passion for. Going on a farm and meeting farmers, or writing about horses has never felt like work to me, and I hope that comes through in my writing. I have stuck to what I know and love, and that has paid off (so far).
Finally, do you have any upcoming projects and/or writings that you’d like to share with us?
Actually, I am going through a period of change right now. I am just about to send the autumn issue of Country-Wide to the printer and have resigned from that role. My daughter is young, and I’d like to devote more time to our farm business. I wrote in my final editor’s letter that it’s a myth that women can do it all. Life is full of compromise. It’s not possible to do all of the things, all of the time, something always has to give. I plan to do a bit less compromising on family and farm in the short term.
I enjoy doing community-based journalism and PR work, and want to do more in my rural community. I would like to use my skills to give back a bit more, and I hope to have time for that now.
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