The Entrepreneurial Journalist's Toolkit

Chapter 5

Find Your Own Way

Entrepreneurial journalists who have developed specialized skills and honed their brand identity so they can offer a unique product to a targeted audience are, in increasing numbers, choosing not to work for traditional employers. It’s a smart move considering the decline of traditional media jobs in recent years. Instead, they, like Gayle Falkenthal, are opting to work independently for clients who hire them to perform specific jobs, or like Times of San Diego founder Chris Jennewein, they are forming their own online media enterprises.

A veteran journalist and public relations consultant, Falkenthal owns a consulting business and doesn’t count any one client as her boss. Although she’s been following an entrepreneurial ...