Journalists and editorial staff

The media and journalism industry has dramatically changed in the past 10 years. Publications have moved online and there are many quality digital platforms that have also entered this space. Journalists too have had to adapt. Many have easily transferred their excellent research and writing skills to suit digital platforms. Others have upskilled in SEO and content marketing. There is a lot of crossover between the roles of journalist and copywriter. For us, we like to think of a copywriter as someone skilled at writing content that ultimately sells an idea, service and product. A journalist is more about story-telling and long-form, feature writing which can include lifestyle writing, interviews, travel pieces, investigative reporting or even corporate white-paper writing.

Our job ad template is really easy to complete and we'll prompt you along the way. We recommend including the scope of work which covers if it's ongoing work or just a one-off, the project time frame and the industry or area of expertise. If you'd like us to write the ad for you, just drop us a line via the contact form at the bottom of the page.

Yes and no. Many freelance journalists write for niche topics such as travel, fashion, lifestyle, sports, tech and finance. Others are more generalists and love to write for a variety of industries. To ensure the right match, we recommend you include your niche industry in your job ad with Rachel's List. You may even want to think about the type of journalist you are looking for. For example, are your looking for a feature writer, travel journalist, lifestyle writer, political reporter or a journalist writing in the tech space? We have a range of general writers and specialist journalists, so the more information you include in your job ad or gig ad, the better.

Rates vary depending on the skill and experience of a journalist. A recent graduate with a year or so experience will charge around $40 an hour. Hire a mid-level journalist for $60 an hour or for highly specialised knowledge expect to pay up to $120 an hour. Some journalists prefer a per word rate which ranges from 50-70c / word for a basic writing job. Download our Pay Rates Report for more freelance rate ideas.

The majority of our job-seekers work off-site or remotely - whether they're based in a big city or a regional or rural location. If you're willing to hire a journalist from anywhere in Australia and enable them to work remotely, the pool of quality freelancers you have access to widens significantly (so it's an important consideration for job-posters). Plus, the beauty of hiring a freelance journalist is that they can work from any online location - there's also no need to provide equipment.