The AAPA in partnership with the Paris branch of the National Union of Journalists held a day long seminar for freelancers on Saturday, November 16. Some 3 participants joined the event held at the Bourse du Travail, Paris 10eme.
Three panel discussion were held on key topics facing freelancers today. Participants had the opportunity to network over lunch mid=day and at a networking cocktail at the conclusion of the seminar.
11h-12:30pm — Finding Work as a Freelance Journalist
Moderator: Shellie Karabell, AAPA President and veteran journalist, with senior editorial and management positions in the US, Europe and Moscow for such outlets as ABC News, PBS, CNBC, AP Broadcast,Dow Jones Broadcast, and Forbes.com
Panelists
Tom Fenton, director of the English-language service at France 24, four-time Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist, and executive producer and bureau chief at CNN, executive producer at Al Jazeera, and senior producer at the CBS Evening News.
Saskya Vandoorne, senior field producer for CNN based in Paris whose experience includes CNN’s New York offices, where she produced international news segments across the U.S., Latin America and Europe.
Caroline Harrap, freelance journalist and editor based in Paris and co-director of the Society of Freelance Journalists; member of the AAPA and the NUJ Paris branch, mentor of a journalism degree program in the UK; articles published by The Guardian, the BBC, Euronews, Press Gazetteand France Today, among others.
Susanna Schrobsdorff, essayist and a contributor to TIME magazine and the Washington Post, based in Paris. Former executive editor, senior vice president, and essayist at TIME magazine, digital director at Newsweek, and executive editor at NBC Universal; writes the It’s Not Just You newsletter on Substack, with +17,000 subscribers.
1:15-2.30 pm — Getting Paid & Paying for it All
Moderator: Linda Hervieux, Paris-based journalist, author, and ghostwriter; contributor to NBC News, the New York Times, and Daily Beast, teaches at the Sciences Po School of Journalism. Her book, Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day’s Black Heroes , is episode 2 of the docu-drama series Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color, now streaming on Disney+.
Panelists
Alison Culliford. NUJ Paris branchVice-Chair; NUJ freelance officer from 2010-2023 advising freelancers, co-wrote the branch’s tax guide; recently returned to salaried employment as the chief sub-editor of The Africa Report.
Faten Amamou, chartered accountant and founder of Paris-based ESCEC International, +20 years of experience in business establishment, registration, accounting, taxation, and social matters, advises how to choose the right work regime and when to change status to accommodate your professional growth.
2:40-3:55 pm — Staying Ahead of the Bot
Moderator: Sylvia Edwards Davis, NUJ’s freelance officer in Paris and New Media Industrial Council representative for continental Europe; freelance journalist based in France focusing on business and culture.
Panelists
Eric Scherer, visionary media expert, founder of France Televisions’ Meta-media — a leading voice in the evolving media ecosystem deciphering industry trends. Scherer is a regular speaker at international conferences and teaches Entrepreneurial Journalism at the Sciences Po School of Journalism in Paris.
Chris O’Brien, American freelance journalist based in Paris, specializing in the French and European tech ecosystems, founder and editor of the French Tech Journal and a variety of newsletters, including the weekly La Machine: France A.I. Radar. His podcasts focus on entrepreneurs and funding trends. O’Brien moderates major tech conferences across Europe, and his tech reporting history includes roles at VentureBeat and Los Angeles Times.