How Journalists Can Make Extra Income Without Quitting Their Job?
I know your struggle that being a journalist doesn’t always pay the bills. You have deadlines and spend late nights working, and still the paycheck barely keeps up. The good news is you already have money-making skills like interviewing and storytelling.
The side income doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need to chase every random online hustle or waste hours on things that go nowhere. You need real, practical ways to turn your journalism skills into extra cash. Here are 9 ways you can turn your skills into extra income.
Table of Contents
9 Ways Journalists Can Make Extra Income
1. Ghostwriting for Founders
Ghostwriting is writing content (like articles, LinkedIn posts, newsletters, or even books) on behalf of startup founders, CEOs, or business leaders. In this service, you act as the voice of the founder. Many ghostwriters earn $1,000–$10,000 per project.
How to get started:
- LinkedIn is the best place to start ghostwriting because most founders are actively building their brand on it.
- Post samples of your writing on LinkedIn to build your portfolio. Pick a few sample founders. It can be either real or imaginary people. And write short posts as if you were ghostwriting for them.
- You can also find clients on startup communities like Indie Hackers or YC Startup School.
To explore more ways to work from home, see this guide on remote job opportunities.
2. Media Training
Have you ever watched a business leader give an interview and thought, “He handled the whole stage so perfectly”? That’s 0% luck and 100% media training.
It isn’t just for celebrities or politicians. Any person who wants to speak about their brand or ideas requires media training. People including founders, marketers, creators, and even freelancers need this.
You can offer:
- Media coaching sessions
- PR advice on story angles and pitching
- Help writing press releases
This service can make you $100–$300 per session, or $1,000+ for full-day workshops.
3. Writing Case Studies for Businesses
In short, it’s turning real experiences of customers into powerful stories to build trust with your audience. This skill sits right between journalism and marketing.
Businesses use these stories on their websites and sales decks. Humans are attracted to the testimonials or transformations of people like them. Average pay is $300–$1,000 per case study.
How to Get Started Writing Case Studies:
- Research how the top companies, like HubSpot or Shopify are writing their case studies. Notice their tone, their flow, and how they are balancing facts with emotions.
- Then build your portfolio by reaching out to startups or freelancers. You can offer to write one-two case studies for free in exchange for a testimonial.
- Write stories in a way that feels real and focuses on transformation. Readers should see how the person’s life has improved.
4. Launching Your Own Media Project
If you’ve ever dreamed of running your own digital media brand. This is a sign from me to you to start your own media company.
You can build a niche website, YouTube channel, newsletter, podcast, or a LinkedIn publication on which you’re gonna share valuable content like investigative stories or cultural analysis under your brand.
For Example: Someone started “Morning Brew” as a student-run newsletter and turned it into a multi-million dollar media brand.
Once your media project gains traction. You can monetize through brand sponsorships or paid communities. You can also start a blog as your own media project to grow a loyal following.
5. Interview-Based Storytelling (Life Stories)
Professional people and retirees love the idea of preserving their life stories or family history. Your job is to interview those people and write their life biography in a narrative style.
A famous real-life example of interview-based storytelling is Brandon Stanton, the creator of Humans of New York (HONY). He has interviewed more than ten thousand people in forty different countries in the world.
You’d be astonished at how many people will pay $500–$1000 to have a polished “life story” they can share with their family.
You can offer packages:
- Audio interviews + written summary
- Full 3,000–5,000 word memoir-style piece
- Printed keepsake booklets
6. Freelance Feature Writing for International Publications
Feature writing for international publications is when a writer creates detailed-engaging stories for magazines or websites outside of their own country. In a feature you express people, trends, ideas, and experiences in a way that tells a story and connects with your readers emotionally. Even 2–3 feature stories per month can add $800–$1500 to your income.
As you’re a journalist, your storytelling skills are already above the normal person. You know how to research and how to interview. This is your biggest advantage.
The main challenge you’ll face is pitching those stories to international magazines. They want fresh and out of the box perspectives, which they don’t find anywhere else.
Some of the popular publications in the world:
- The Atlantic
- Wired
- Bloomberg Opinion
- Business Insider
- The Guardian
- VICE
7. Social Media Storytelling for Professionals
Social media storytelling is really just about sharing the real stuff that happens in your work or life.
It means sharing everything like your lessons, the wins, the losses, the mistakes, fun moments, and weird behind-the-scenes moments that people don’t see. You can earn $500–$2000 per month.
Remember people connect with moments, not with fancy logic. Journalism has already installed this in you. I know you’re familiar with this thing.
Your duties will be:
- Writing short story-style posts
- Planning a simple content calendar
- Engaging with your audience
- Ghostwriting for others
If you like to create video content. Then my preference is to go for Instagram. But If you like to write more, then LinkedIn and Twitter are the best choices.
Haddie Djemal previously worked in television in the U.S. and then shifted towards storytelling for brands. She’s making somewhere between $60,000–$120,000 per year, which is a handsome amount.
8. Local Media Consulting
It is a service where you help small businesses get featured in digital publications or local magazines. Your only work is to help them write their stories in a way that gets the media’s attention.
You are acting as a connector between local businesses and the media. You understand what makes a story newsworthy and how the editor’s mind works. Businesses don’t have any experience with this. You can charge $300–$700 for a project.
local media consulting can include:
- Media strategy and storytelling guidance
- Writing and editing press materials
- Local PR campaign planning
Media training and interview preparation
9. Personal Biography Writing
If you like to write stories of people, you can start writing personal biographies. Businessmen and successful people always want a well-written biography for their website or press features.
They don’t know how to talk about themselves without sounding boring. You’ll help them with your skills. A good bio doesn’t just list achievements. It shows struggles and wins in a way that connects with readers.
You can charge $500–$3,000 per project depending on how detailed it is. Once you have a few strong bios under your name, clients will start coming to you because word spreads fast.
Final Takeaway
Being a journalist doesn’t always pay what it’s worth, but your skills are gold out there. You have the skills like Storytelling, curiosity, clarity, empathy. Brands pay for them every day.
You don’t have to give up your passion for great stories. You just need to notice where people actually need it. Pick one idea and try it out. Ghostwriting, newsletters, consulting, helping brands tell their story — all of it works
The real secret is to keep showing up even when you don’t want to work. That’s where the magic happens. That’s when you grow the fastest.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can journalists use AI tools to speed up freelance work?
You can use AI tools. You should rewrite AI drafts in your own tone and double-check the facts to remove any fakeness. Because clients pay for the trust.
2. What’s the easiest freelance job for a journalist to get in 2025?
Ghostwriting short LinkedIn posts or newsletters is the easiest side hustle of all. It’s flexible and pays handsome amount of moneyl.
3. What side hustles pay fast for journalists just starting out?
If you want fast income, focus on ghostwriting LinkedIn posts or writing press releases for startups. They’re easy to find and usually pay upfront.
4. What are the best side hustles for journalists with investigative skills?
You can start data-driven storytelling, grant writing for nonprofits, or research partnerships with authors or filmmakers.
5. Are there side hustles for journalists that don’t involve writing blog posts?
You can do podcast production, fact-checking, speechwriting, or even media consulting for businesses that are entering the press industry. These jobs involve using your reporting skills.
