Freelance Culture and Entertainment Writers

About us

The Independent has always been “condemned to innovate”, and has always done so. It has many “firsts” to its credit, including its own creation. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first broadsheet to go tabloid; the first to give stunning photography the same prestige as a news or feature story; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings (“a self-satisfied cabal”); the first to launch a concise quality compact paper, i, in 2010; the first to launch an edition for children; and the first to go fully digital, in 2016. We felt then that our resources would best be concentrated on this growing medium, and progress since has justified that.

Through The Independent Daily Edition app, The Independent and indy100 websites, via social media and via the subscription service, Independent Premium, we hope to continue the work of many decades, and to make our voice ever louder and more insistent the world over; across generations, genders and cultures. Every minute of every day we are forging new bonds with new audiences.

Today we have teams across the globe, from Delhi, Moscow and the Middle East, through to London, New York and Los Angeles.

The roles

The Independent needs a reliable pool of freelance entertainment and culture news reporters. The right people will be comfortable live-blogging, breaking news, researching and standing up stories, as well as reporting live on cultural events.

The successful candidates will be happy in a team environment, with meaningful experience in online journalism. Given the nature of entertainment, the shifts would also include evenings and weekends.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone.
• We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to let us know

Responsibilities

• Source culture news stories that suit The Independent brand and appeal to our readers
• Write copy quickly and efficiently
• Liveblog major events, reality TV and breaking news stories
• Write clean, accurate copy in-keeping with our brand values and editorial standards
• Understand digital best practices
• Work closely and collaboratively with the rest of the Culture team
• Work with the audience team to ensure articles reach the widest possible readership.

About you

• Experience in a similar role at similar news website
• A proven track record of covering major culture events (Oscars, Grammy Awards, Baftas, Super Bowl, Eurovision etc.) and breaking news on a culture desk
• NCTJ qualification and demonstrable experience with navigating media law
• Strong news sense and ability to present stories in an original, engaging manner
• An understanding of The Independent brand and audience.

Our values – you will deliver across all our values

Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.

Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.

Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.