Women learn early on not to make ourselves the center of attention — that we should put other people’s needs first.

To make other people comfortable.

To be agreeable.

Easy to work with.

To get where we want to go in life/business.

For our own safety.

But I'm here to tell you the world of freelancing, journalism and business is changing.

And ladies, we need to get on board — or be left in the dust.

I’m going to approaching this from a journalist perspective, and as a journalist we learn early on to NEVER become the story.

Even when other people want to make it about you.

A good example of this happening recently was Trump’s attacks against journalist Kaitlan Collins at the White House Correspondents Dinner.

I had my own example a number of years ago, when I was at my first broadcast market in the Quad Cities.

I was living in an old building in Davenport, Iowa, getting ready to move to Phoenix, Arizona, when my apartment building collapsed — while I was still inside.

Three people died, and a woman lost her leg.

I’ve gotten flack from other journalists in the past for not only helping report on the disaster after it occurred, but for speaking up as a survivor. I was discouraged by future employers from speaking to major news outlets, even though the disaster left me financially struggling.

I was unable to recoup my losses from the disaster. I lost tens of thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment, which could have set me on the path to branching off on my own as a freelance journalist sooner rather than later. I lost important mementos and heirlooms. And this doesn’t even take into account how this shook me up as a person, going through the shock and trauma of experiencing an event like this.

The financial instability was devastating.

What hurt more was the constraints imposed on me by journalism institutions when I was drowning.

I felt as if, not only could I NOT talk about myself and my experience — but if I did I would be punished by the very establishment I had worked so hard to become a part of.

Now, I’m having to unlearn a whole way of thinking to make it as a freelancer and a journalist.

Because let’s be honest, newsrooms don’t pay well anymore.

They haven’t kept up with the cost of inflation.

They undervalue talent.

They outsource to AI.

And there is very little room to make a CAREER at one newsroom, like people did in the past.

And any profits?

Well, they go to the people at the top — or the shareholders.

While writing this article I found myself trying to remove ME from my writing.

Replacing I with you.

Me with we.

Generic passive language in the place of active first person writing.

THAT buck stops here, and I’m going to give you three reasons why.

1. The Industry

2. The Psychology

3. The Craft

   ---

1. THE INDUSTRY

I’ve already touched on this a little bit already, but the industry is changing.

Freelancers, journalists and writers are learning what “Fine Artists” learned a long time ago — people don’t want your work for the sake of the craft.

What they want is someone they can follow.

They want a story.

They want a journey.

They want to root for you, and your success.

They want to be shocked, awed, challenged — and they want some friction.

Basically, your potential clients want you to be a brand. And they can’t DO that if you won’t talk about yourself.

Think about who you actually subscribe to, follow, or pay for.

It’s rarely the anonymous byline with the cleanest prose. It’s the person whose name you recognize, whose track record you’ve watched unfold, who you feel like you know a little even if you’ve never met them in-person.

They inspire you.

You trust them.

You want a little bit of what they have.

Traditional newsrooms used to be able to hide their reporters behind the masthead — the institution was the brand, and your byline was just a credit line underneath it. That worked when the institution had the readers’ trust and the paycheck to back it up. Neither of those is guaranteed anymore.

When the masthead stops paying you like it used to, and stops being able to promise you an audience, the brand has to come from somewhere else.

It comes from you.

Basically, your potential clients, your readers, your editors all want you to be the brand.

And you can’t build that if you won’t talk about yourself.

You can’t build a following around a byline that refuses to say anything about the person attached to it.

I recently invested in a brand consultant/service here on Substack, , to review my Substack, my brand and my direction. Huge shoutout to her for her help.

Type A Minus

10 things I'd tell you about Substack if I wasn't afraid to hurt your feelings

Two years ago, I was speaking with a literary agent about writng a book proposal. They shared that building a significant email list would dramatically increase my chances of publication…

Read more

a year ago · 2968 likes · 394 comments · Anna Seirian

One of my biggest takeaways is, even with all of my experience I didn’t view myself as an authority.

I didn’t trust myself.

It took talking to Anna and seeing myself from her perspective to realize that I am an authority on what I do.

There’s an art to talking about yourself.

In journalism we learn how to interview people to get to the core part of a story. How do we craft an article out of an interview? Which quotes add seasoning to the story?

I tend to craft an article around specifics quotes that tell the story in prose better than I ever could.

My interviewee has already given me the story.

They gave me fantastic quotes because my training pulled that out of them.

Now, we need to turn those skills on ourselves — on myself.

If you are struggling with that yourself you can use my Interview Self Assessment to take the questions I as a journalist would ask you to help you craft an engaging Bio/About page.

2. THE PSYCHOLOGY

I’ve touched already on the fact that women learn early not to take up space.

There’s real data in this.

Researcher Dale Spender’s Man Made Language(1980) is one of the most cited studies on this. Her method included recording university classroom discussions, then surveying students on their perception of who talked — and how much.

The findings are stark.

Men perceived a discussion as “equal” when women spoke somewhere between 15% and 30% of the time. Once women’s share of the conversation crept up to approximately 30%, men described the discussion as being “dominated” by women.

Women, meanwhile, judged the actual balance of speaking time far more accurately than men did.

It was men who consistently overestimated how much women had spoken.

This a measure of how little space we’ve been trained to expect for ourselves, and how little our listeners have been trained to tolerate our voices. That gap follows us to work, into pitch meetings, contract negotiations and every byline where we quietly write ourselves out of our own reporting.

If the baseline expectation is our silence then every sentence where I say I instead of you and me instead of we is pushing back against a baseline that was never fair to begin with. And it’s the only way we carve a space for ourselves in the new creator economy.

Note: Some academics view Dale Spender’s methodology as outdated, and these figures to not take BIPOC women into account. I would bet everything I own that the number for BIPOC women are skewed even more.

Other Research:

The role of gender in conversational dominance: A study of EFL learners

Understanding Gender Differences in Amount of Talk: A Critical Review of Research

Speaker sex and perceived apportionment of talk

3. THE CRAFT

There’s an art to talking about yourself, and it’s not the art anyone teaches you in journalism school — because journalism school teaches you the opposite.

In journalism, we learn how to interview people to get to the core of a story.

How do you build an article out of an interview?

Which quotes carry the piece, and which ones are just noise?

You learn to sit in a room with a stranger, ask the question that makes them forget the interview is being recorded.

You learn how to spot the best quote.

I tend to build a story around the specific quotes from my interviewees that tell the story better than my own prose ever could.

My interviewee has already handed me the story — they gave me the quotes I needed because my training pulled it out of them.

That’s the craft.

You aren’t inventing a story from nothing.

You aren’t building a myth from vapor.

You are learning how to recognize and pull our the sound bite from a forty minutes interview that will carry the weight of the whole piece.

Now, we need to turn that same skill on ourselves.

To interview ourselves in the same way I’d interview a source by asking the follow-up question instead of accepting my own first, safest answer. To sit with my own material long enough that something honest surfaces instead of the polished version I’d normally hand a stranger. To find the quote in my own head worth building a paragraph around, instead of smoothing it into something safer — and more forgettable.

It’s uncomfortable exercise.

I’m both the reporter and the subject, and I don’t get the luxury of pretending the story belongs to someone else.

But I’m using the same muscle.

I’m just finally learning to pointing it at myself.

Is this something you’re struggling with as well?

Then consider booking an hour long meeting with me where we:

• Go over your Bio/About page.

• Talk about Pitching techniques.

• Brainstorm how you can take your skills and available funds to go solo.

• Figure out your talking pillars.

It’s your time and we can go over anything you would like.

Note: I live in Bangkok, Thailand and my hours reflect that. Though I start my day early and end my day late so that my hours can overlap.

Book a 60 minute session!

I write to “Five Pillars” here on “Diaries of a Freelance Journalist,” which includes;

If you enjoyed this article please consider liking, engaging and subscribing!

Let’s be honest.

Good work isn’t enough anymore.

You may be the world’s most amazing writer, but that just doesn’t bring home the bacon in 2026.

Freelancers, journalists, entrepreneurs — everyone is learning what artists and galleries learned decades ago.

No one is going to give a shit if they aren’t invested in YOU and YOUR STORY!

So, what does that mean?

It means you need to be able to talk about yourself. I can’t do that for you. But what I can do is give you the tools I’ve learned as a journalist to help you answer the fundamental question of, “What makes me interesting.”

Because, if I’ve learned anything as a journalist it’s this — everyone is interesting. Everyone has either:

1. A unique story to tell.

2. An interesting perspective.

   ---

What This Framework Is:

This is a self-interview.

This isn’t therapy or journaling and it’s not a branding exercise that makes you feel gross.

It’s a reported piece — and you’re the subject.

By the end of it you’ll have:

• The raw material for a bio, which hopefully won’t make you cringe.

• A way to mine for material for your Substack and social media.

• Clarity on what you should be basing your Substack pillars around.

• Hopefully, a little more confidence in yourself.

  ---

Before You Start:

• Answer this like you’re talking to a colleague, or a friend, because this isn’t a resume.

• Write at least three sentences.

• Give the answers like you are telling a story.

  • you should touch on how it felt, smelled, etc.

With that out of the way, let’s begin!

Book a 60 minute session!

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Hi there!

My name is Linnea Hoover and welcome to “Diaries of a Freelance Journalist!”

I'm a freelance foreign correspondent and multimedia journalist based in Bangkok, Thailand reporting on Southeast Asia. I bring in-the-field/behind-the-scenes reporting for those who miss NatGeo before Disney took over, adventure, conflict and environmental reporting — or are thinking of taking the scary plunge into dropping everything to start freelancing.

I’m here because I took that plunge myself, leaving my semi-cushy job in local broadcast news to take a shot at my dream, and it’s the best decision I ever made.

Let’s be honest, the industry is changing and we need to diversify!

Now, I’m out in the world covering conflict, war, the environment, climate change, disaster, human and wildlife trafficking — you name it.

I started this crazy journey at the beginning of 2026 with zero clients, a pocket full of cash and a dream. Since then I’ve been published by multiple outlets including Mongabay, and I was picked up by NurPhoto Agency — a renowned wire service for photojournalists.

If you decide to subscribe to “Diaries of a Freelance Journalist” you’ll get Notes daily, and a new Article every Monday. ~More to come as demand grows!

I write to “Five Pillars” here on “Diaries of a Freelance Journalist,” which includes;

“Free” subscribers get two articles a month.

“Paid” subscribers get those articles plus two more articles.

“Founding Members” get all of those same perks, plus they get exclusive behind the scenes access that other members don’t get.

So make sure to hit “Subscribe” to get more of “Diaries of a Freelance Journalist” so I can take you on all of the adventures with me, and so I can encourage you to have some adventures yourself!

Subscribe now

You can also book a 60 minute session with me!

During this one-hour session we can:

• Go over your Bio/About page.

• Talk about Pitching techniques.

• Brainstorm how you can take your skills and available funds to go solo.

• Figure out your talking pillars.

It’s your time and we can go over anything you would like.

Note: I live in Bangkok, Thailand and my hours reflect that. Though I start my day early and end my day late so that my hours can overlap.

Book a 60 minute session!

As I lay pinned beneath my motorbike, hanging precariously off the edge of a cliff in Aceh, Indonesia with only a root between me and certain death, I knew I had bitten off more than I could chew.

I was in my first official month of trying to make it as a freelance journalist, and I’d taken a risk when the weather had turned on me suddenly.

I was at the end of an 8 hour day on a motorbike from Medan, to Aceh, hours from the nearest hotel if I went back, and I had decided to press on.

I REALLY wanted to get footage of the giant sink hole that had opened up.

But I had miscalculated.

Subscribe now

If you’re wondering why I was out there in the first place you aren’t the only one. My friends and family think I’m crazy too.

But I was out in the middle of North Sumatra with a purpose.

Months earlier, in November 2025, Tropical Cyclone Senyar triggered extreme rainfall across Southeast Asia. The cyclone caused devastating floods in three provinces in Indonesia: Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.

As of January 14, 2026, official figures recorded more than 1,000 deaths and over 130,000 people displaced in the three provinces.

Many people are still missing, and presumed dead.

I had spent nearly a month on the island by this point and I had seen how little had been done to return life to normal for the locals.

In some areas it looked as if the disaster had struck days before, not months earlier.

Continued ongoing heavy rain wasn’t helping with relief efforts. It also didn’t help that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto refused to declare the flooding and subsequent landslides that devastated the region a national disaster.

Removing the ability of foreign aid groups to assist in the relief effort.

Prabowo told his cabinet Indonesia was capable.

Medan returned 30 tonnes of UAE rice and food packages on central government guidance.

Critics noted the non-declaration also kept emergency funds behind bureaucratic process.

In the months following the disaster survivors have sued the Indonesian government for their alleged mismanagement of the disaster relief, and for their actions that allegedly amplified the disaster itself.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, continues to defend his and the government’s management of the disaster relief.

I had seen the utter devastation that these floods had wrought first hand.

Entire villages wiped out by water, debris and mud.

And I was there because I was trying to get to something I thought editors might be interested in. A massive sink hole, 100 meters (328 feet), deeper than the Statue of Liberty is tall.

The sinkhole initially began to form in the early 2000’s, but had grown quickly since the November 2025 flooding. this prompted immediate evacuation of local villages — the sinkhole growing multiple feet an hour.

Subscribe now

Timeline of Expansion

• Early 2000s: Initial subsurface soil movement and small-scale deformation first began appearing in the village.

• 2011–2013: Repeated visible landslides began occurring, notably worsening after a major 2013 earthquake shook the region.

• Late 2025: Heavy rain and severe flooding heavily saturated the porous volcanic soil, triggering drastic subsurface erosion.

• January–February 2026: The crater suffered a catastrophic collapse, swallowing the main highway on January 26, 2026, and rapidly expanding to its current size of over 3 hectares

  ---

So, I was out in Aceh to do a job.

Now, I was about to go over a cliff.

In these, my final moments, I had time to think about all of the things I hadn’t had the opportunity to do — as I waited for the inevitable outcome of my stupidity.

The gravel had turned to a muddy sludge underneath me, in the minutes I lay trapped there.

I could feel the root supporting my foot loosening.

And then, as if by a miracle, I could hear a car coming down the road behind me. One car turned into two, turned into three — and suddenly the bike wasn’t pinning me, and arms were lifting me out of harm’s way.

I remember sitting shaken on the ground. The smell of the gasoline that had leaked out of the tank and onto my clothing the only thing grounding me.

And then there was another choice. Go back through the downpour, hours backtracking on road just as bad — or go forward.

“The only way out is through,” I told myself.

So, with the help of my heroes I continued on.

It was not an easy trip, and I wish I had footage of that night, because I haven’t felt fear like that since my apartment building in Davenport, Iowa collapsed in 2023.

I did get pictures of the return trip, and I did get footage of the sinkhole. Sadly, there weren’t any editors who wanted the footage at the time.

But I’m sure other freelancers in the field know this feeling all too well.

We take risks because there is no support from a newsroom.

We take risks because we can’t always afford logistical support.

We take risks because we want to do the work, and the pipeline to our dreams no longer exists in a traditional sense.

So, freelance journalists take risks.

Sometimes these risks pay off and we’re able to pay our bills, feed and clothe ourselves and plan the next story. And sometimes, they end with you hanging precariously off the edge of a cliff pinned by a motorbike — or worse.

Would you like to know more about the November 2025 Cyclone that hit the region? Or more about Aceh’s sinkhole? Let me know in the comments!

If you’re interested in my stories I cover a number of topics, or pillars, which include:

Book a 60 minute session with me!

During the session we can go over:

• Go over your Bio/About page.

• Talk about Pitching techniques.

• Brainstorm how you can take your skills and available funds to go solo.

• Figure out your talking pillars.

It’s your time and we can go over anything you would like.

Note: I live in Bangkok, Thailand and my hours reflect that. Though I start my day early and end my day late so that my hours can overlap.

Book a 60 minute session!

Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, on July 16, 2026 a number of Trump officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Deputy of Staff and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller announced on National Television that they would begin using a guideline you have probably never heard of to start targeting left-wing dissenters as “Domestic Terrorists.”

You’re probably wondering, “What does this have to do with me?”

Before we get into the quiz I’m going to ask you a couple quick questions to see if this quiz is right for you.

1. Am I an American living inside or outside of the United States of America?

2. Am I living in America but I was born somewhere else?

3. Do I contribute to nonprofits or activists in the U.S.?

4. I’m not American, I don’t live in the U.S. and I don’t know what you are talking about — but I’m curious as hell!

If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions then hang around because you may be a domestic terrorist according to the U.S.’s current administration.

Or, you just want to know what the hell I’m talking about…

After you’ve finished the quiz we’ll get into where you land, what NSPM-7 is, why you should care and what — if anything — you can do about it.

Some quick housekeeping before you get started.

• Regardless of your results, please take this quiz with a grain of salt. This is NOT an official quiz. At this time we do not know what guidelines are being implemented by The National Joint Terrorism Task Force and its local offices in regards to NSPM-7.

• If you decide to share your results I cannot guarantee the current administration won’t use these against you in the future — I expect putting this quiz together and sharing my own results with you will be an issue for me in the future.

• Substack also does not allow you to embed code for quizzes into their HTML, so I’ve given you two ways to complete the quiz. You can follow the link below, where it calculates your results for you, OR you can answer the questions below and calculate your own results. The choice is yours!

Take the Quiz!

OR!

Just tally up your own responses below.

QUIZ:

“Does the Current U.S. Administration Consider You a Domestic Terrorist?“

The UN-official NSPM-7 Self-Assessment Tool.

Answer a few questions and see if you would be considered a left-wing radical subversive under the NSPM-7 National Security Presidential Memorandum.

Let’s GO!

---

Q1: Do you think healthcare in America could be better?

(NSPM-7 basis: “anti-capitalism”; the healthcare executive assassination is cited as evidence of this ideological thread).

- [ ] No, American healthcare is perfect. ** 0 **

- [ ] I have some concerns but keep them to myself. ** 0 **

- [ ] Yes, and I’ve said so out loud. ** 1 **

- [ ] Yes, I regularly post about it. ** 2 **

Q2: Have you ever called something “fascist?”

(NSPM-7 basis: The document identifies use of the word “fascist” as an indicator of domestic terrorism).

- [ ] Never, Only woke liberal snowflakes use that term. ** 0 **

- [ ] Once, about 1930s Italy and Nazi Germany. ** .5 **

- [ ] Yes, in a political context. ** 1 **

- [ ] I use it regularly to describe America and/or the Trump regime. ** 2 **

Q3: Do you have views on immigration that differ from current federal policy?

(NSPM-7 basis: “extremism on migration” listed as a common thread).

- [ ] No, I support all current immigration enforcement. ** 0 **

- [ ] I have private reservations. ** 0 **

- [ ] I think there are issues with the current policies and how they are implemented. ** 1 **

- [ ] Yes, and I’ve protested, donated and/or organized around it. NO KINGS. ** 2 **

Q4: Do you have views on gender that differ from “traditional American views?”

(NSPM-7 basis: “extremism on gender” and “hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality”).

- [ ] No, a man is a man and a woman is a woman. Only 2 genders. ** 0 **

- [ ] I have private opinions I don’t share. ** 0 **

- [ ] Yes, I support gender equality and/or trans rights. ** 1 **

- [ ] Yes, I’ve said so publicly, donated to related causes and/or support or are part of the LGBTQ+ community. ** 2 **

Q5: Are you a member of, or have you donated to, any non-profit or NGO?

(NSPM-7 basis: The document directs the IRS to investigate tax-exempt organizations and their employees and officers for potential referral to the DOJ)

- [ ] Never. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps like Jesus intended. ** 0 **

- [ ] I’ve donated once or twice to charity. ** .5 **

- [ ] Yes, I’m a regular donor to one or more nonprofits. ** 1 **

- [ ] Yes, I regularly work or volunteer with an NGO to help those in need. ** 2 **

Q6: Have you ever criticized law enforcement?

(NSPM-7 basis: “support for law enforcement” is listed as a “foundational American principle” and portraying it as “fascist” is identified as a domestic terrorism indicator).

- [ ] Never, I support the police unconditionally. Back the blue. ** 0 **

- [ ] I’ve had private thoughts. ** 0 **

- [ ] Yes, I’ve expressed criticism publicly or on social media. ** 1 **

- [ ] Yes, I’ve been involved in criminal justice reform advocacy. Black Lives Matter. ** 2 **

Q7: Do you identify as, or have you ever expressed sympathy for, “anti-fascism?”

(NSPM-7 basis: “self-described anti-fascism” is explicitly named as a domestic terrorism indicator. The word “anti-fascism” appears in quotes throughout the document).

- [ ] No. I love me some fascism. ** 0 **

- [ ] I oppose fascism but don’t use that label. ** .5 **

- [ ] Yes, I identify with anti-fascist principles. ** 1 **

- [ ] To be against fascism is to be anti-fascist. I have posted anti-fascist content on social media and attended a protest. ** 2 **

Q8: Do your views on race differ from “traditional American views?”

(NSPM-7 basis: “extremism on race” listed as a common thread uniting domestic terrorism).

- [ ] No, I’m very traditional. I love my country with a side of racism. ** 0 **

- [ ] I don’t see color. ** 0 **

- [ ] Yes, I support racial equity policies. ** 1 **

- [ ] Yes, I’ve organized, protested or donated around racial justice. Black Lives Matter. ** 2 **

Q9: Do you have religious views that differ from Christianity, or no religious views at all?

(NSPM-7 basis: “anti-Christianity” listed as a common thread; “traditional American views on family, religion, and morality” identified as what domestic terrorists are hostile toward).

- [ ] I am a devout Christian, and I’ll tell you all about it. America is a Christian nation. ** 0 **

- [ ] I’m a Christian, but not a conservative Christian. ** .5 **

- [ ] I am not a Christian, OR I am agnostic, or an atheist. ** 1 **

- [ ] Keep religion out of politics. Separation of Church and State. ** 2 **

Q10: Have you ever shared, liked, or reposted political content online that criticized the government?

(NSPM-7 basis: The document identifies “social media” and “anonymous chat forums” as radicalization vectors and directs investigation of “networks” and “entities” involved in political messaging).

- [ ] I’m pro-MAGA and post about it, does that count? ** 0 **

- [ ] I don’t post about politics. ** 0 **

- [ ] Occasionally. ** 1 **

- [ ] I will tell you ALL the ways I hate Trump and the current administration. ** 2 **

Q11: Have you ever attended a protest, march or political demonstration?

(NSPM-7 basis: The document directs investigation of “all participants” in what it characterizes as criminal conspiracies, and lists “civil disorder” as a priority prosecution target).

- [ ] Only to support our God worm emperor Trump. The spice must flow. ** 0 **

- [ ] Once, for something noncontroversial. ** .5 **

- [ ] Yes, for a political cause. ** 1 **

- [ ] I have been to EVERY “No Kings” protest, “Black Lives Matter” rally, “ICE protest,” or any other protest against the current administration you can think of. ** 2 **

Q12: Do you believe the current U.S. economic system needs significant reform?

(NSPM-7 basis: “anti-capitalism” listed as a defining characteristic of domestic terrorism ideology).

- [ ] No, capitalism is working well. I love it. ** 0 **

- [ ] Minor tweaks maybe. ** .5 **

- [ ] Yes, significant reforms are needed. ** 1 **

- [ ] We need to overthrow the Techno Oligarchs NOW. ** 2 **

RESULTS

0-2: “Clear”

You are either fully aligned with current federal priorities — or you’ve never had an opinion about anything. Congratulations! Maybe stay off Twitter.

3-6: “Flagged for Review”

According to NSPM-7’s stated criteria, your beliefs and activities place you in a category of interest. The IRS will probably be in contact about your nonprofit donations.

7-12: “Person of Interest”

The Joint Terrorism Task Force thanks you for your transparency. Your social media history is being reviewed. This is not a joke — these are the actual criteria in the document.

13-24: “Domestic Terrorist”

Per NSPM-7, your views on healthcare, gender, race, religion, capitalism and law enforcement place you squarely within the ideological profile this memorandum was written to address. Welcome to the majority of Americans comrade!

"Diaries Of A Freelance Journalist" is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

THE FINE PRINT

~Every question in this quiz maps directly to language in National Security Presidential Memorandum 7, signed September 25, 2025, and published in the Federal Register. The criteria listed above are not invented. The criteria are quoted from a document that directs the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces, the IRS, the Department of Treasury, and the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute individuals and organizations matching this profile. Read the full document at whitehouse.gov.

NOTE: I cannot guarantee the Trump administration will not take action against you if you take and post the results of this quiz.

Want to read more on this topic now that you’ve answered the quiz?

If you decide to continue beyond the paywall you’ll get;

• To see what other people scored on the quiz.

• A breakdown of the terms used in the quiz above.

• What is NSPM-7, and why it should concern you.

• How NSPM-7 is currently being used to target protestors.

• What you can do, if anything, to protect yourself.

Welcome!

I’m curious to know what your score was so drop it in the poll below.

If you were concerned about how vague the questions were, then you are in good company. And that was the whole point of the quiz. To give you something interactive to show you are arbitrary the criteria is, unless you align with the current administration.

Okay, you got this far.

Really quick I’m going to go over some terms used in the quiz that were pulled from the NSPM-7 Memorandum, and how the Trump administration is using it.

Note: I’ve provided links for you to do your own research, because any one of these could stand alone as their own article.

• “Domestic Terrorist” — There is currently no federal criminal provisions for domestic terrorism in the United States.

  • Understanding and Conceptualizing Domestic Terrorism: Issues for Congress: Congress.gov

  • Responding to Domestic Terrorism: A Crisis of Legitimacy, Harvard Law Review

  • Trump’s Orders Targeting Anti-Fascism Aim to Criminalize Opposition: Brennan Center for Justice

• Anti-capitalism — I believe Congressman Mark Pocan(WI-02) and Congressman Jared Huffman(CA-02) say it best in their letter to Trump, “The memo also characterizes “anti-capitalism” as a hallmark of violent behavior without explaining the term. This omission allows officials to potentially treat Americans as domestic terrorists for something as routine as organizing a local boycott or operating an employee-owned business. That lack of clarity threatens to chill lawful activism and punish economic alternatives.” You can read the full letter below.

  • letter-on-nspm-7-to-president-trump.pdf: Congressman Mark Pocan and Congressman Jared Huffman letter to Trump

• Non-Profits — Pulling from the Civil Rights Era, end the funding and you stop the movement. Or, cut off the head and the body dies.

  • US seeks extradition of wealthy pro-Palestine donor from Spain: Al Jazeera

  • How NSPM-7 Seeks to Use “Domestic Terrorism” to Target Nonprofits and Activists: ACLU

• Fascist — Fascism is not the end goal, it’s the journey.

  • FASCISM: An In-Depth Explanation: YouTube, Ryan Chapman

• Anti-fascism or Antifa — Trump has designated Antifa a “domestic terrorist organization.” It should be noted that anti-fascism is not a group but an ideology, and there is no known organized “Antifa” group, despite what the Trump administration would like you to believe.

  • DESIGNATING ANTIFA AS A DOMESTIC TERRORIST ORGANIZATION: Presidential Executive Order

• “Extremism on migration”, “Extremism on gender”, “Hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality”, “Extremism on race”, “Anti-Christianity” — As no benchmark or definition has been put forward by the administration ,or passed in Congress. A catch all to snag anyone who disagrees with the current administration. In essence, like most of Trump’s speeches, it is pure word vomit and its vagueness will be the key to its success.

• “Social media” and “anonymous chat forums” as radicalization vectors — Posting stuff that hurts Trump’s feelings? You might be a terrorist.

• “Civil disorder” — Basically, if you protest you are considered a subversive.

So, now let’s answer the question, “What is NSPM-7?”

On September 25, 2025, without the approval of Congress, Trump issued a “Presidential Memoranda” titled,” Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence.

In this memorandum he outlined;

• The need to target and hunt down “domestic terrorists,” mainly Antifa.

• How these individuals were to be identified.

• And who would be targeting, tracking and hunting them down.

If you would like to read the full Presidential Memoranda issued on September 25, 2025 you can do so here.

Now, let’s take a look at the Prairieland case.

In July 2025, a group the Justice Department is calling the “North Texas Antifa Cell” staged what prosecutors called a coordinated night attack on the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.

One of them, Benjamin Song, was convicted of opening fire and wounding a police officer. He was sentenced to 100 years in prison.

Here’s the part that should worry you regardless of where you land on Benjamin Song: four of his co-defendants were charged with that same attempted murder count — and acquitted of it.

These protestors didn’t fire a weapon.

They were instead convicted of rioting, providing material support to terrorists and conspiracy to use explosives (fireworks were part of the “attack”). Their sentences: 30-70 years each.

A ninth defendant, who wasn’t even present at the protest, got time for moving a box of documents.

Seven more people who took plea deals for one count of material support got a combined 106 years. Total for the group: 450 years in what the Department of Justice itself called the first-ever domestic terrorism case built around the word “Antifa.”

You can read more on this case in the U.S. Department of Justice’s own words here.

Moving onto another case in Minnesota, and the one that should worry you — even if you’ve never been to a protest.

In June 2026, federal prosecutors indicted 15 people connected to a group called “Direct Action Minnesota” on an eight-count conspiracy, tied to protests that blocked operations at a federal building in the Twin Cities.

Some of the charges are serious and specific including; assault on a federal officer, interstate threats and destruction of government property.

If those hold up, that’s a real legal case. But the indictment doesn’t stop there.

The indictment, which you can read here, lists 269 “overt acts” as evidence of conspiracy. Buried in that list, alongside the assault and threat allegations are;

• Postings of political opinions on Facebook.

• Attending meetings where direct action was discussed.

• Being present at a protest.

None of those, on their own, are crimes.

This is what should concern you.

While the government is prosecuting some people who have committed violence — because some of what’s alleged here is genuinely violent — it’s the people being indicted, tried and convicted for non-violent acts, for practicing their constitutional right to free speech and being adjacent to other people being indicted/tried/arrested, that should concern you.

What should worry you is once you’re inside a conspiracy charge the ordinary, legal and everyday texture of political life including; an opinion online, a meeting you went to, a protest you stood in, stops being protected speech and becomes an “overt act” of domestic terrorism.

You are in essence on trial for your thoughts, and any hidden meaning that can be found in your everyday actions. You a now part of a political trial. You don’t have to do anything wrong. You just have to be near someone the government has decided is a “domestic terrorist.”

The fifteen people listed below, most facing years in federal prison, are being charged with conspiracy, partly based off Facebook posts.

And that should concern everyone, no matter their political leanings. Because if it’s them today, it could be you tomorrow.

You can read more on this case in the U.S. Department of Justice’s own words here.

All of this should concern you if you answered the quiz above and got anything other than “Clear.”

At Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s, “Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism” on July 16, 2026 — which you can watch here — Trump officials laid out exactly what they would do to anyone they identified as a potential “domestic terrorist.”

• International Terror Designations: The U.S. designated four European-based groups as terrorist organizations and is actively coordinating with allies to apply similar global terror designations.

• New Visa Restrictions: Rubio announced visa restrictions preventing foreign nationals who finance, incite, or assist these violent extremist organizations from entering the United States.

• Financial and Treasury Probes: The U.S. Treasury Department is expanding investigations into the use of nonprofit structures by left-wing actors, and the State Department has offered up to $10 million for information disrupting their financial networks.

• Aggressive Domestic Interventions: Built on NSPM-7, domestic actions involve multiagency task forces led by the DOJ and the FBI targeting the radicalization, funding, and planning of these groups.

Civil liberties advocates and legal experts warn that the broad designations and international crackdowns threaten First Amendment rights, chilling lawful political speech and dissent.

• Civil Rights Threats: Organizations like the Brennan Center for Justice warn that using domestic terrorism labels against decentralized political movements threatens to criminalize opposition and bypasses constitutional guardrails.

• Lack of Legal Standing: Legal experts emphasize that there is no domestic equivalent to the “foreign terrorist organization” classification in U.S. law, making the domestic designation largely rhetorical.

• Statistical Imbalances: Watchdog groups like the Anti-Defamation League point out that the vast majority of violent domestic extremist plots in recent decades have been tied to right-wing movements, leading critics to view the administration’s focus as politically motivated.

Okay, what do you actually do with this now that I’ve scared the pants off you?

I’m not going to pretend I have a silver bullet. NSPM-7 is deliberately vague.

That’s the point.

It’s what makes it so dangerous. So, there’s no checklist that guarantees your safety. But there’s a real difference between panic and preparedness.

Here’s the preparedness version.

I wish I had more concrete actions for you to take, but this is new and ever changing. As I learn more I’ll make sure to keep posting content to help you navigate what’s coming.

Now that we’ve gotten through the hard stuff, I’m curious to know what score you got on the quiz.

I’ll show you mine if you show me yours!

New to “Diaries of a Freelance Journalist?”

I’m a freelance foreign correspondent covering Southeast Asia currently based in Bangkok, Thailand. I specialize in covering conflict, the environment, climate change and human interest stories. I’m a contributor to NurPhoto Agency, Mongabay, NWS Facts, the Bangkokian and Le Comptoir De La Presse.

The topics I cover the most on Substack are:

Notes Daily and Articles every Monday!

Update: You can now book a 60 minutes session with me!

During this one-hour zoom meeting we can:

• Go over your Bio/About page.

• Talk about Pitching techniques.

• Brainstorm how you can take your skills and available funds to go solo.

• Figure out your talking pillars.

It’s your time and we can go over anything you would like.

Note: I live in Bangkok, Thailand and my hours reflect that. Though I start my day early and end my day late so that my hours can overlap.

Book a 60 minute session!

Previously, in Part 1: I went to Iraqi Kurdistan to report on what the U.S.-Israel-Iran “ceasefire” actually looked like on the ground — which, spoiler, wasn’t much of a ceasefire. I interviewed two smugglers running goods and people across the Iranian border, sat with fighters, and watched a 19-year-old Komala soldier die after her camp was hit by a drone strike, all while pitching the story to every outlet I could think of and getting nothing but silence. By the time short-range drones started targeting the base near where we were sleeping, my colleague and I knew it was time to get out.

If you missed it, read Part 1 here. This part picks up with what conflict reporting costs, and the sad story of Ghazal Molan.

Conflict and war reporting is expensive.

Many journalists have other jobs. They have to make money to self fund their work as war reporters and conflict journalists.

I’m going to let that sink in for a moment.

The coverage you get from the front lines. The information you get about a genocide. Coverage of Ukraine, Iran, Israel — environmental conflict like Papua Indonesia — all of this is self-funded for the most part.

I’m going to give you a breakdown of what it cost me to operate out of Iraqi Kurdistan for a month, what it cost to get there and what it cost to leave.

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Hotel: $30-60 per day

I spent 30 days in Iraqi Kurdistan and a week in Diyarbakur, Turkey. Hotels here aren’t as cost effective as Southeast Asia, but it isn’t nearly as bad as American hotels.

We did spend two weeks with our fixer’s family. So, I spent 16 days in $30 per night hotels, coming out to $480, and 7 nights in $60 per night hotels $420 for a total of approximately $900. ~not including tax.

Food: $15-30 per day

I’m going to estimate on the low end of this because sometimes breakfast was provided by the hotel and we would eat with our host family. So I’m estimating this came out to approximately $555.

Border Crossing by Land from Turkey into Iraqi Kurdistan: $300

This was a one time cost, and my colleague and I split this. My portion was $150.

Car to Sulaymaniyah, Iraq from Erbil: $300 one way

We made this trip 4 times and split the cost, making my portion $600

Plane: $1600 round trip

The flight out was more expensive than the flight in…

Tech: $150

Sometimes things break.

Fixer: $400 per day

We used our fixer for five full days which comes out to $2,000, which my colleague and I split. This makes the total on my end $1,000

Safety and Medical Equipment: $300

Because we are in a conflict zone you really want that gear which includes protective gear and emergency medical equipment. This is a one-time cost.

The total damage ended up being approximately $5,500 for 37 days, our one story was commissioned for $1,700 ~I have feelings about this. I’m happy to address that in another article if there is interest.

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Note: While drones were falling and people were dying Iraqi Kurdistan isn’t considered an active warzone. Active warzones require better protective gear, more emergency medical equipment and potentially a security unit. I have not experienced this yet, but it is incredibly cost prohibitive.

That $4,400 loss is the reason you try to get as many stories out of a conflict zone as possible — every pitch that lands is what makes the next trip financially survivable.

So, when a story like Ghazal Molan’s gets ignored it’s the kind of failure that decides which reporters get to show up for these stories, because it is incredibly cost prohibitive.

I told you all in Part One how no one wanted the story about the smugglers, and that story never made it off the ground.

While my story for Ghazal Molan did get picked up for a new outlet out of India called NWS Network, which you can read here, there was very little interest from Western media — which was incredibly surprising for me.

Ghazal Molan was 19-years-old when she died, she was a member of Komala which is a guerrilla resistance group fighting the Iranian regime, and considered by some to be a terrorist organization.

Her camp was hit and she was rushed to hospital still alive. She was denied critical lifesaving care by four hospitals out of fear they would become retaliatory targets by Iran, a play by Israeli forces in Gaza that is becoming more common in conflicts.

This occurred on the seventh day of the ceasefire brokered between the United States, Israel and Iran.

Her death set off a firestorm in Iraqi Kurdistan, sparking protests against the Iranian government.

For this reason alone it should have made international news.

As you can probably tell because you’ve likely never heard of Ghazal Molan before, it did not.

I will not speculate as to why editors did not want these stories, or other stories in the region. What I will say is if you find a journalist like me on Substack, Instagram, Facebook or any other platform please at least give them a follow. ~I am working on compiling a list of journalists to follow who cover war/conflict, the environment, human and wildlife trafficking, as well as local reporters around the world raising awareness on these issues. If you have a suggestion for someone to be added to the list please drop them in the comments.

After the short-range drones started targeting the Komala base near where my colleague and I were staying it was time to leave Iraqi Kurdistan.

Our time was up, and we had done all we could.

Luckily by this point the airport in Erbil had reopened, and I was able to leave the easy way.

My colleague and I made it out.

Ghazal Molan didn’t get that opportunity, and she isn’t the only one.

The cost for me to try and cover the Iran War came out to approximately $4,400 — completely financial.

The cost for the people living in war and conflict zones is much steeper.

This is the first piece in a series I’m building on what this work actually costs — the money, the access, the physical risk, and the fight to get any of it published at all. If that’s useful to you, stick around.

Update: You can now book a 60 minutes session with me!

During this one-hour zoom meeting we can:

• Go over your Bio/About page.

• Talk about Pitching techniques.

• Brainstorm how you can take your skills and available funds to go solo.

• Figure out your talking pillars.

It’s your time and we can go over anything you would like.

Note: I live in Bangkok, Thailand and my hours reflect that. Though I start my day early and end my day late so that my hours can overlap.

Book a 60 minute session!

The roar of motorcycles made everything feel real, it all felt very clandestine. We were about to interview two smugglers in Iraqi Kurdistan less than five miles from the Iranian border.

I’d never done anything like this before.

Adryel told me not to smile.

“Try to look like this isn’t your first rodeo.”

Easier said than done.

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We sat and talked and I learned about what these smugglers’ lives were like. How they carried goods over the border into Iran — how sometimes they got people out.

“I don’t want this life for my son,” one smuggler said.

He talked about how they were attacked by Iranian soldiers. Sometimes they were shot at, others they would be forced off cliffs. Every attempt over the border could be their last. But it was the only option they had.

“You call us smugglers, but the people we bring out call us their heroes,” he said.

That was the line that resonated in my brain, the one I would write the article around…

But no editor wanted the story.

It was the middle of April and I spent weeks pitching, revising, editing and pitching again. I sent it to every outlet I could think of including; broadcast, print, digital, the big boys, the small outlets, CNN, ABC CBS, the Guardian, the New York Times — everybody and anybody.

No dice.

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It was so surprising to me because we knew there was an internet blackout in Iran which meant nothing in and nothing out. But these men and the people along the border had bypassed that by smuggling eSIMS over the border. We even talked to someone over the phone who was using one of the smuggled SIM cards, giving us a rundown of what was happening in Iran.

They were worried about food shortages because of the war, and the inevitable humanitarian crisis that would follow.

As all of this was going on, the “ceasefire” brokered between the United States, Israel and Iran was in full swing. From our end calling it a ceasefire felt like a joke. Israel was going after Lebanon and Gaza, Iran was going after Iraqi Kurdistan and the U.S. was, if not directly attacking anyone, definitely throwing their weight around.

There was also the “Shelly” of it all. As my colleague and I had been getting ready to enter Iraq, another American journalist, Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad.

It felt like in reaction the entirety of Iraqi Kurdistan was constricting around me, like a living body attempting to expel a foreign object.

That’s exactly what we were in essence.

While the casualty numbers happening around me were in the hundreds instead of the thousands, I thought, surely what we are seeing in Iraqi Kurdistan gives context to the war.

But it felt like I was yelling into a void, and I could feel the growing resistance to our presence.

Two American journalists wandering around Iraqi Kurdistan interviewing people about the Iranian war, after an American journalist had been kidnapped in Iraqi proper had set off what was in essentially the country’s white blood cells — ready and willing to resist our presence.

We had a story on goods, transport routes, danger, conflict and war with people that no one else had access to, and I could feel the window of opportunity closing.

I can’t comment on why editors didn’t want this story, what I can do is say that I have my opinions.

When I first arrived in Erbil, Iraq after Shelly was kidnapped there were still a few western journalists — but we were definitely the only Americans. By the time I left Iraq I can confidently say I was more than likely the only Western journalist in the country.

I know there was a lot of news happening at the time, and it’s easy to ignore the quiet war stories. However, seeing it for the first time is another matter entirely.

This means that I was the only western journalist with access at that point in time.

Even if the pitch wasn’t perfect, a story about smuggling routes into an active war zone, with sourcing no one else had, shouldn’t have needed a perfect pitch to get a bite. I’m still at the beginning of pitching to international outlets, and it is vastly different from pitching in your local news room. But, that’s also what editors are for!

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As Lebanon was getting coverage of Israel violating the ceasefire, my colleague and I were in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq when Ghazal Molan(19) died after a drone struck a Komala camp. She was denied care at multiple hospitals, and later died of her injuries.

Fear that Iran would strike hospitals in retaliation for her care, a play being carried out by other countries in the region, was widely ignored by international outlets. I was finally able to get a story published with NWS Network which you can read here, along with a YouTube video which you can watch here. But there was so much more to cover, and it felt like there was no one interested in the stories.

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On multiple occasions as we were interviewing Komala fighters and field reporting we had to flee for cover due to reports of incoming drones.

As we were getting ready to attend the funeral of Molan an Iranian drone struck another cemetery. We were told that the location is where Iranian intelligence believed Ghazal’s funeral was going to be held.

Then the short-range drones with ordinance started targeting Komala bases near us. Not the long-haul Shahed suicide drones but the small personal drones.

Short-range meant close.

It meant whoever was flying them wasn’t far from where we were sleeping.

That’s when my colleague and I knew we had to leave.

We had a story no one else had access to — goods, routes, smugglers and guerrilla fighters — and I could feel the window closing on all of it.

The window was closing on the pitch and on the country.

Subscribe for Part Two: What happened when we got out and what it costs to do conflict and war reporting. Coming Monday July 13, 2026.

This is the first piece in a series I’m building on what this work actually costs — the money, the access, the physical risk, and the fight to get any of it published at all. If that’s useful to you, stick around.

Update: You can now book a 60 minutes session with me!

During this one-hour zoom meeting we can:

• Go over your Bio/About page.

• Talk about Pitching techniques.

• Brainstorm how you can take your skills and available funds to go solo.

• Figure out your talking pillars.

It’s your time and we can go over anything you would like.

Note: I live in Bangkok, Thailand and my hours reflect that. Though I start my day early and end my day late so that my hours can overlap.

Book a 60 minute session!

When I started this journey six months ago, leaving my relatively stable position in local broadcast news, I knew things would be difficult. Not just because freelancing is a difficult job, but because right now journalism has it rough.

There’s layoffs, safety issues and attacks on the press — and it feels like it’s happening everywhere.

I gave my self six months.

If I hadn’t sold anything by in that amount of time I would hang up my hat and go home with my tail between my legs and figure it out from there.

Thankfully I didn’t need that long, but I still have a long way to go.

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January:

The first few weeks saw me in the UK getting training for Hostile Environments, called HEFAT training. You basically spend a week with classroom learning and on the ground training. You get walked through what to do if you’re kidnapped, shot or mortared. In essence how to keep yourself alive long enough to receive medical aid.

I highly recommend this training for anyone even contemplating reporting in countries experience conflict, war or even under a regime that has authoritarian leanings.

Is it expensive?

Yes.

If/when you end up in a situation where you need that information will it be invaluable?

Also yes.

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I recommend Hostile Environment Training Ltd. out of Andover. They did a great job preparing us for what to expect in conflict zones, they run year round and they have training camps every week. They have courses of varying lengths and specialties depending on your needs.

During all of this, I was also trying to figure out where I wanted to go next. The goal was to land in Bangkok, Thailand. Ten years ago I’d lived in Thailand for while and so I felt relatively comfortable with the choice. There were a few considerations I took into account when I was choosing where I wanted to land.

• Airport Access - I wanted to be able to travel easily for stories.

• Regional Interest - I wanted to be close to stories that I found interesting, or able to get there relatively easily if necessary. I’m mainly interested in environmental/conflict reporting.

• Language/Culture/Politics - I wanted at least a basic working knowledge of the language, culture and politics of the place that would hopefully be my home.

• Money - I wanted to make sure the money I would have would last me long enough to make a real go of this career shift.

However, There have been changes recently to Thailand’s journalist and DTV visa, and I hadn’t had a response yet be the time I was set to arrive. ^{If people are interested in my experience with applying for a short/longterm journalist visa to different countries I would be happy to write an article that goes into that further based on my experiences so far.}

So, I decided to start in Indonesia while I waited to hear about my Thai visa, at that point I didn’t have any clients so I was applying with for a DTV freelancing visa.

I started in Jakarta initially because I had plans to go report on the Food Estate Program being implemented in Papua, Indonesia. This proved difficult without clients and backing.

February

So, I made my way to Medan in North Sumatra. I spent two months looking into November flooding, the extinction level event surrounding the Tapanuli orangutans, the devastation that continued unaddressed in North Sumatra after the lack of government assistance following said flooding — and I pitched and pitched and pitched.

I started my Substack, attempting to up my social media game, I was filming and editing and doing photography. Basically, I was getting my feet wet.

But so far, no interest from any news organizations. But I was expecting that.

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I was also getting the opportunity to experience living life after living paycheck to paycheck every month. I was hiking active volcanos, traveling the country by motorbike, eating food that was healthy and my stress levels were improving. I finally felt like I was living again.

March/April:

My 60 day visa for Indonesia was finally ending and it was time to leave and my DTV visa for Thailand had been denied, so I decided to go as a tourist as I continued to figure things out, and I finally got a client!

I was hired by NWS Facts to write an article on how the ongoing boarder closure was affecting locals after the Thai/Cambodia border conflict. If you’re interested you can read that article here.

This is also when I met my colleague Adryel Talamantes, who has given me great advice and we decided to go to Iraqi Kurdistan to report on the war in Iran. I was attempting to get into conflict reporting, which I still am, and wanted to get a byline under my name. Adryel thankfully had experience in the region.

But conflict reporting is difficult for a number of reasons, especially as a freelancer. I was only able to get one story off the ground for NWS Facts about the ongoing attacks against Iraqi Kurdistan by Iran despite the ceasefire which you can read here. There is also a four and half minute YouTube video available here. ^{I’m happy to write more about the difficulties Adryel and I experienced with pitching from a conflict zone if that is something everyone is interested in. Please let me know!}

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At this same time, I started freelancing for Mongabay and finished my first article for them, “See an orangutan, take a photo, earn some money: A viable conservation model?”

I’m currently trying to get more articles published with them. We’ll see what happens, but it’s exciting to feel like I’m finally getting somewhere!

But a lot of our time in Iraqi Kurdistan is spent waiting and pitching. I also started in Instagram account specifically for my photography, which you can check out here.

As we were making out way into Iraq through Turkey, the airport in Erbil was closed at the time, Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad, Iraq. This made everything we were doing as journalists in Iraq more difficult, but it’s what we sign up for when this is the work you want to do.

It changed how we approached most of what we were doing, and we were more cautious of where we went and how long we stayed in a single location.

There finally came a point when we realized it was time to go for our own safety and the safety of the people helping us.

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May:

Back in Thailand baby!

Thailand is a great place to land when you aren’t sure what your next steps. I started putting together some projects that were more in-depth investigative stories. These are taking some time, effort and energy, but I feel like they’ll be worth it in the long run.

I also started really practicing my photography, and working on getting out a few times a week when I’m not pitching articles and I need a break.

I also found out about an interesting story in Laos, so I went to do some research for a couple weeks. Nothing has come from pitching the story yet, but I’m hopeful.

While I was there I got to eat amazing food, explore for a story I can’t talk about yet and take more photographs!

June:

It’s Pride Month and Bangkok started it off with a bang!

It’s been a month for photography and pitching longform investigative stories, and signing contracts with a couple more clients.

I was able to make it to the Phi Ta Khon “Ghost Mask” Festival in Dan Sai in the Loei Province of Thailand, and submit my first work as a contributor for NurPhoto Agency.

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I’ve learned a lot in the last six months as a freelance journalist and I’m sure I’ll learn even more as the months progress.

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What I need to work on:

• Be consistent with social media — especially Substack!

• Get more stories under my belt. ^{You don’t need to travel and be in the field for every story! It’s expensive and unless you have a buyer it drains your bank account quickly.}

• Keep working on multiple revenue streams

• Get the journalist visa!!! ^{I’m working on this, but it’s been difficult…}

• Don’t get discouraged when the work is slow. ^{I picked feature and investigative work, which takes time, effort and energy — and trust on the editor’s end. This takes time!}

• Creating a workflow and schedule so that I can stay on top of everything.

The Wins!:

• I’m now a contributor for NurPhoto Agency, Mongabay, NWS Facts, the Bangkokian and Le Comptoir De La Presse. ^{These are not insignificant when I started this journey with zero clients.}

• I’ve had multiple articles published and a video that was just under five minutes long.

• I’m now a contributor for a will respected photo wire service — NurPhoto. ^{See the first win!}

• Not mentioned above but my health has been improving throughout the course of this journey.

• I’ve made a lot of new contacts and journalist friends. I’m getting a feel for international reporting and how to pitch to big publications.

• Some of the big publications are talking to me. I haven’t sold anything to them yet, but I just have to keep working at it!

And that’s about it for six months. I’m going to try to be more on top of my Substack — one of the goals. I’m curious to hear what you all want me to take about?

• Do you have any questions about freelancing as a journalist in the field?

• Do you want to know what has been my most expensive mistake so far?

• Do you want more narrative stories?

• When publications don’t pick up a story would you to see it here?

I also want to hear how you all navigate everything? How do you do it all? Thanks again everyone for reading!

Update: You can now book a 60 minutes session with me!

During this one-hour zoom meeting we can:

• Go over your Bio/About page.

• Talk about Pitching techniques.

• Brainstorm how you can take your skills and available funds to go solo.

• Figure out your talking pillars.

It’s your time and we can go over anything you would like.

Note: I live in Bangkok, Thailand and my hours reflect that. Though I start my day early and end my day late so that my hours can overlap.

Book a 60 minute session!

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I’m going to preface this by saying — I am not the shit.

I love photography, videography, storytelling and journalism.

I’m not perfect, or an award winning photographer. And I’m still learning and growing.

That being said, I’ve learned a lot as a photographer over the years. I’ve learned about composition and lighting, the technical aspects — and I’m still figuring out what I like. For the particular purposes of this article, I’m looking at photography through the lens of a journalist and a story teller.

So, let’s get into it!

As a journalist, especially when I’m working as a multimedia journalist taking photos and video — I’ve always thought of what I do as something a little like a cat burglar.

A thief of moments…

I’m stealing moments from the people and places that my story is about, that will hopefully go on to live well into the future.

Because visual storytelling is all about the people, and the moments.

If I can get those moments on camera, maybe it will show a little bit of the truth of the story, and the soul of the subject.

But when I’m putting a story together, there are certain things I need to get to tell a visual story.

So, what do I need to get as a photographer, or videographer, for any given assignment?

For me it’s these:

• Environmental/Scene setting

• Details/Nitty-gritty/Up-close and personal

• Environmental portrait/Regular portrait

• Action shot/The moment/The Conflict

  ---

I will shamelessly plug the Planet, a Western Washington University student publication, whenever I can. They taught me the basics, which I now pass on to you.

Some photographers and videographers do all of this subconsciously. But for those that don’t, I’m going to break it down for you.

The reason you’re taking these photos is because, you are answering visually, the question of:

Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.

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Most photos fit into multiple categories. A portrait can be nitty-gritty detail, scene setting can be action…

I would argue the best photos are more than one of these, like the iconic images below.

Each type of photo serves a purpose and they help move the story along.

Environmental/Scene setting:

— When I think of these shots I always think of a David Attenborough documentary. Beautiful panoramic scenery, soft music in the background. But these shots aren’t always picturesque.

This article by the New York Times, “Jakarta’s Trash Mountain,” is a perfect example of that.

It’s so hard to choose a favorite from this article, because all of the shots are absolutely phenomenal. But this one is one of my favorites. In this picture you get the massive scale of these trash mountains, with mechanical buckets getting progressively smaller in the distance.

Details/Nitty-gritty/Up-close and personal:

This photo story from the Guardian, “Where there’s a will there’s a a whey: cheese producers lean into their craft as Trump tariffs bite,” has quite a few detail shots. For me, a detail shot takes the viewer into an action, immerses them in a moment, reveals something about the story in more detail or just get’s into the muck and the grime.

This is the moment where you really get up close and personal and I see less and less photographers doing this, I’m guilty of this myself. I think part of it is fear of getting too close.

Some of the best advice I’ve received as a photographer is “move with your feet.” My first Chief Photographer at WQAD would always push us to get “more tighter tight shots, and more wider wide shots.”

This can really help you when you’re editing video to create transitions between scenes, and for photo stories it creates visual variety.

I like to think, when these shots are done well they’re like visual candy.

Environmental portrait/Regular portrait:

For me, portraits should read into the soul of the subject. I should look at the picture and feel something. And in my humble opinion, one of the masters of that is Lynsey Addario.

She’s traveled the world to some of the most dangerous conflict zones and wars on the planet, and when I see her work I feel like I’ve traveled with her. The portraits are raw, and personal, and you walk away feeling like you know her subjects.

Action shot/The moment/The Conflict:

And last bust certainly not least is the action shot, which in journalism or storytelling is what we show up for.

This is the, something is happening, moment.

If we’re telling a visual story it tends to go beyond just a good action shot, it needs to be part of the larger story. This moment is happening as a consequence of something, or to make something happen.

The Hong Kong Riots were a great example of this. And everything we saw out of this event was, in every way, an action shot.

I hope this was helpful! I could definitely do a deeper dive into each of these sections because they all deserve their own love. There’s so much more to the choices we make as photographers, videographers and journalists when we are storytelling than people realize.

And if anyone has thoughts on things I missed, or that you would like to know more about I’d love to hear the.

If you like the content I’m creating please consider subscribing or even buying me a coffee! ~I do love me some coffee…

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Update: You can now book a 60 minutes session with me!

During this one-hour zoom meeting we can:

• Go over your Bio/About page.

• Talk about Pitching techniques.

• Brainstorm how you can take your skills and available funds to go solo.

• Figure out your talking pillars.

It’s your time and we can go over anything you would like.

Note: I live in Bangkok, Thailand and my hours reflect that. Though I start my day early and end my day late so that my hours can overlap.

Book a 60 minute session!

As I set out to the Thai/Cambodia border with my driver, a fixer, my new wisened war/conflict colleague and a dream — I didn’t realize I had fallen into a pitfall I’m sure every freelancer experiences at least once. That what I agreed to and what my client thought I agreed to were two very different things…

And I would quickly go from the high of enjoying my first conflict story gone well, to 48 hours later telling a client I would no longer be working with them and they couldn’t use my story.

It all started out rather average for a story in the field.

An early start the day in Bangkok.

Copious amounts of coffee.

And a relatively easy trek to the border by car.

No biggie…

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We heard there may have been some fighting happening early in the day, but we saw and heard no evidence to support those claims.

However, we did find personal stories of struggle in the wake of the border closure. Heartache at the loss of a families home, source of income from their only reliable transport and the death of their beloved pet.

I heard stories of people waiting for the tourists that never come, as they try to eke out a living on a fraction of what they made before, but still relatively high in spirits.

There were those who questioned why everything had happened, because the people in the villages in Thailand and Cambodia had never had a problem with each other, I was told.

I had people who were worried about what comes next. Will there be another clash? Will they be able to get to safety after their car was hit by a missile? How will I get to my medical appointments?

And I saw that some people had come to expect nothing from the people who should care most about them. The people who could put a stop to the conflict and the fighting.

And I wanted to tell THAT story…

And I still do.

But not with the publication that initially hired me.

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~Let me take it back a smidge~

About a week ago, someone reached out to me on journalist.net. So far, I’d had no problems with the site. It helped my find an amazing fixer in Indonesia who helped me get some stories under my belt, and who is now my translator for stories in Indonesia.

No complaints.

So, when an outlet saying they were looking for global cross border pitches reached out to me I thought, “here we go, I can do some of the work I’ve really been wanting to do.”

I pitched it, they did a zoom call with me —where I verbally told them my rates… I get an email confirming I’ve been hired for the story, which at first glance all looks good. No contract, but they’re a new company that is launching in a little over a week. Not a red flag per-se.

Here I am thinking all is simpatico.

I get back to Bangkok, I write up my story and I hit send and I let the news director know that the photos are on the way.

As I’m working on the photos I get an odd message saying to put the photos and the visuals in separate folders and I am terribly confused, because….

I thought we had agreed to photos only in the zoom interview.

Him: What’s your rate?

Me: I charge $600 for 1200 words and photos. ~because we don’t gate keep here…~

Him: Okay, we pay more for in-depth stories.

Me: Great! I can do video, but that’s a different pricing conversation.

Him: We would like to hire you to be our on-the-ground reporter for $600 dollars, reporting on the Thai/Cambodia conflict. We want to see what it’s like from your perspective.

Me: I need to hire people to go with me, can I ask for $800 for this story. ~because conflict zone

Him: Don’t be greedy… And, we want you to get visuals.

Visuals…visuals….visuals…visuals.

VISUALS

That’s the buzzword…

I just didn’t realize it yet.

Because when he says visuals, he means something completely different from what I mean.

For me, visuals is a broad branch that can mean any number of things, but specifically we had been talking about photography and how — while I do video, it’s a separate cost that can cover any number of things from broadcast pkgs, to vertical VO, to drone, to photography, to illustration…

The list goes on!

I’m not sure if he meant to be vague, but when I asked him what he meant by putting photos and videos into separate folders he said, “We told you to get visuals.”

Be cool…

Be cool?

Be cool he says…

Not great when you’re a woman.

If you ever want to make someone REALLY mad — tell them to calm down…

See how well that works.

Now, I’m asking what he means by visuals.

Him: It’s fine, we will honer our agreement, even though you didn’t get visuals.

Me: Tell me what you mean by visuals?

Him: Be cool! We will honor our agreement.

Me: What do you mean by visuals!

Him: It’s okay Linnea. Be cool. You have filed your copy, put the photos in a Google Drive folder and the editor will contact you when they have questions. We will pay you within 48 hours.

As this is going on, I’m reaching out to my friends in the industry.

One friend say, this was a huge escalation on my part. Another, said to cut them off and not send them the photos.

So, I took the day.

Because you never make good decisions when you’re mad.

In the end, I decided to stick to my guns and not to work with them…

Because the term “visuals” could mean anything. It’s an incredibly BROAD term in photography, videography, art and journalism.

And he was effectively moving the goalpost farther down the finish line, and trying to get me to create more expensive product for free.

You’re probably asking, “Does she think this was malicious?”

My answer would be no — at least not in the way you’re thinking.

Because it do be extra work.

But, mama don’t work for free.

I’m lucky I only ended up out a little cash for the driver and fixer. It could have been so much worse.

I could have signed a contract. Stuck creating more expensive work for peanuts.

But the story is still mine, and now I’m just looking for a home for a really great photo story about five people living on the Thai/Cambodia border, and their quiet, personal and economic struggle that continues in the wake of the conflict.

So…

if you’re looking to freelance, I hope you can learn from my mistake.

Make DAMN sure you know what you’re agreeing to when you negotiate a project or contract.

Know what THEY mean by the jargon they are using.

DON’T assume something just because it’s common knowledge in your niche of the industry.

And if you do accidentally end up in a similar situation to this, I’m giving you permission to cut them loose. Because when you freelance ,the only person who is taking care of you, is you.

I hope this was helpful to those of you out there figuring out contracts, freelancing, independent journalism, etc. Because we all have to start somewhere and there’s no point in gatekeeping the info when we could lift each other up instead of tearing each other down.

If this was helpful I hope you’ll consider subscribing to “Diaries Of A Freelance Journalist.”

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Update: You can now book a 60 minutes session with me!

During this one-hour zoom meeting we can:

• Go over your Bio/About page.

• Talk about Pitching techniques.

• Brainstorm how you can take your skills and available funds to go solo.

• Figure out your talking pillars.

It’s your time and we can go over anything you would like.

Note: I live in Bangkok, Thailand and my hours reflect that. Though I start my day early and end my day late so that my hours can overlap.

Book a 60 minute session!

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I’ve been incredibly lucky in my career as a journalist with amazing mentors, colleagues and teachers. I believe it’s incredibly important to share the wealth of advice and support with anyone interested in starting this line of work, because not everyone gets the learning experience of a /internship/classroom/newsroom.

One thing I’m noticing as a freelancer, especially doing the type of freelancing I’m doing, is that there isn’t always information on the basics.

And what is more basic than the difference between a topic and a story.

Because editors and producers will take one, but not the other.

I’m going to shamelessly plug the Planet, who I worked for when I attended Western Washington University, for teaching me this. *If you’re a fan of REALLY good environmental reporting, and amazing photography, from student journalists make sure to go give them a read*

So let’s break down the difference between a topic and a story.

A “Topic” tends to be a general idea.

It’s broad, and can be something like love, the economy, war, the environment, climate change etc. You can even narrow it down a bit to, “I want to talk about the plight of women in …”

This does not a story make!

It’s a great starting point, but it requires a little something extra.

It requires conflict.

Now, I need you to note that does not mean two people need to be duking it out for there to be conflict. But something needs to be happening so that there can be narrative arc, and if you’re lucky a resolution.

Journalism does not always require a resolution, but that’s a topic for another day.

Now you know the difference between a topic and a story, and while you can break down a topic it doesn’t always make a story. And you know you need to find conflict.

So, how do you do that?

As an example, let’s say we wanted to start with a topic like environmental conflict — my jam…

Let’s break it down a little further into something like carbon credits. Now to the story, because I love Mongabay and stories about environmental conflict, here’s a recent article by Hans Nicholas Jong, for Mongabay.

“Indonesia plan to rezone elephant reserve for carbon trading and tourism sparks backlash.”

Let’s break this down into a subject, stakeholders, the conflict and narrative arc.

The subject:

The Indonesia government wants to rezone Way Kambas National Park in Sumatra for more eco-tourism, and for the Indonesian government to sell carbon credits.

The Stakeholders:

• The Indonesian government

• The American government

• Conservationists

• Way Kambas National Park

• The wildlife

• The eco-tourism industry

• The locals

The Conflict:

• Potential deforestation

• Greater chance for human/wildlife conflict

• Impact on critically endangered species

• Lack of local input

The Narrative Arc:

While there is no clear resolution for this story because the dispute is ongoing, there are main characters, our stakeholders, driving the plot forward.

So here’s the breakdown — the Indonesian government is rezoning one of its national parks that has a number of critically endangered species so that they can sell carbon credits and broaden tourism in the area, and there was little to no public input.

You could have gotten to a similar story by saying, “I want to talk about;”

• Endangered species

• Deforestation/Reforestation in Indonesia

• Carbon credits

• Human/wildlife conflict

But getting back to the point of this article — a topic is launching point. The story is what you find within that broad expanse of endless possibilities.

I really hope this was helpful for the people just starting out!

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I’d love to hear any questions that people have about getting into journalism, reporting or freelancing. I’d love to hear your thoughts, tips and tricks!

It’s really easy to forget what it’s like to be at the beginning of a career. So, let’s share what we know as a community so that the people starting out don’t have to struggle as much as we did.

Update: You can now book a 60 minutes session with me!

During this one-hour zoom meeting we can:

• Go over your Bio/About page.

• Talk about Pitching techniques.

• Brainstorm how you can take your skills and available funds to go solo.

• Figure out your talking pillars.

It’s your time and we can go over anything you would like.

Note: I live in Bangkok, Thailand and my hours reflect that. Though I start my day early and end my day late so that my hours can overlap.

Book a 60 minute session!

I’m not sure that feeling will ever go away. I’m told by friends and colleagues that the feeling is normal, and over time it will pass.

I haven’t been at the whole freelance journalism thing long. A little over three months ago I left my relatively stable job as a multimedia journalist at a local broadcast station in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. And even though I just signed my first freelancer contract and I haven’t made a dime yet — I’m really glad I did it.

So, if you’re looking for an expert on freelancing you won’t find that here. But, what I am an expert on is rolling with the punches, and learning from my mistakes.

And let’s just say these first few months have been rife with mistakes. Including;

• I’ve bitten off way more than I can chew.

• I’ve invested in stories when I know the initial media fervor had died.

• I’ve nearly gone off a cliff traveling to a remote story in an area impacted by flooding and landslides.

• I’ve had no confidence.

• I’ve had too much confidence.

• The list goes on…

However, all of these moments have taught me more about what I can do as a journalist flying solo than what I can’t.

It’s important to understand (especially for visual journalists), that:

• I can’t compete against a newsroom staff for breaking news. Don’t try to do everything!

A newsroom will always know about breaking news before I do. (Unless I get lucky and have a source feeding me information before everyone else).

What I CAN do is find the people being affected and the interesting characters and I can commit to a deep dive of their stories.

• I need to be bold with my shots!

There’s a certain amount of fear that we will ruffle feathers as journalists. That we’ll get too close — you’re already there, be bold and fearless! GET TO CLOSE!

Someone told me at the beginning of my career, as a camera operator you need to move with your feet. If your shots are bad it’s probably because you aren’t close enough.

• When I’m at a story, I need to commit to what I’m good at!

It’s easy to see what everyone else is doing thanks to social media. But you aren’t them! You have your own point of view and vision.

It may take me longer but I’ve committed to telling visual stories whenever possible.

• Keep pitching, even on the bad days!

It’s easy to feel down after getting a bunch of rejections and just give up. The main thing to remember about rejections from editors and producers is that it is never personal.

• It’s a numbers game. Take your shot even if you don’t feel qualified!

If you wait until you feel ready then nothing will ever happen or you will miss your opportunity. Better to take your shot even when you aren’t prepared.

The worst thing that can happen is people say no!

I hope this was helpful for anyone thinking of venturing into freelance journalism. I’ll be posting regularly about my failures and successes as I attempt to create a career as a freelance journalist so that you hopefully don’t make the same mistakes I did.

If you’re interested in following the journey I’d love it if you would subscribe. But even if you don’t please feel free to take this away with you into whatever you decide to do in life.

• Don’t try to do everything

• Be bold

• Play to your strengths

• Commit to your vision

• Keep pushing

And last but not least…

• Don’t be afraid to take your shot!

This is one of my be bold moments. This is a shot from my first protest coverage since becoming a freelancer. This was outside the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand as Thai muslims protested the Iran War. The little girl pictured below is holding a bundle meant to represent the children killed in the conflict.

This was a difficult moment to be bold because I’m not fluent in Thai, which adds an extra element of awkwardness. It can be really awkward to stick a camera in someone’s face — especially at a protest.

But along with being bold, I try and respect the people I’m photographing. Earlier I asked if it was okay to photograph her with gestures and broken Thai, she and her family agreed.

And I walked away with this shot.

Being brave or bold is a muscle we need to exercise constantly as freelancers and journalists.

I’d love to hear what you’ve done lately as a freelancer that was bold for you!

Update: You can now book a 60 minutes session with me!

During this one-hour zoom meeting we can:

• Go over your Bio/About page.

• Talk about Pitching techniques.

• Brainstorm how you can take your skills and available funds to go solo.

• Figure out your talking pillars.

It’s your time and we can go over anything you would like.

Note: I live in Bangkok, Thailand and my hours reflect that. Though I start my day early and end my day late so that my hours can overlap.

Book a 60 minute session!

I had the amazing opportunity to interview Ian Singleton and his team from Orangutan Haven, which is an ethical wildlife eco park — not a zoo. Their goal is release back into the wild whenever possible. However, sometimes that just isn’t possible and orangutans rescued from the illegal pet trade and human/wildlife conflict can never return to the wild.

Some were shot, others taken when their mothers who were killed during deforestation or human-wildlife conflict. Some survive these attacks, but not without permanent damage. At Orangutan Haven in North Sumatra, a few of the residents are completely blind, but conservationists like Ian Singleton are trying to give them a second lease on life.

That creates a challenge most people never think about: how do you give an animal a meaningful quality of life when it can’t see the world around it?

Conservationists are experimenting with scent scents and sounds, and even systems that would allow the orangutans to choose whether they want music playing.

Groups like Orangutan Veterinary Aid are working with Orangutan Haven by providing a large donation olfactory stimulation like essential oils. Ongoing studies at Orangutan Haven look to discover which scents orangutans prefer.

Besides smells, Orangutan Haven is looking to give these great apes the option to play music and sounds that they prefer.

There are fewer than 120,000 orangutans left in the wild, and every one rescued from the pet trade carries a story about what’s happening to the forests they once called home.

What would you do to enrich the lives of blind orangutans? And what conservation stories do you want to hear about next?

This is just one part of Orangutan Haven’s story. So stay tuned to learn more about the challenges facing orangutans.

I write to “Five Pillars” here on “Diaries of a Freelance Journalist,” which includes;

Update: You can now book a 60 minutes session with me!

During this one-hour zoom meeting we can:

• Go over your Bio/About page.

• Talk about Pitching techniques.

• Brainstorm how you can take your skills and available funds to go solo.

• Figure out your talking pillars.

It’s your time and we can go over anything you would like.

Note: I live in Bangkok, Thailand and my hours reflect that. Though I start my day early and end my day late so that my hours can overlap.

Book a 60 minute session!