Earn money from freelance journalism!

You may be suprised to read (if you don't come here very often) that journalism is among the worst-paid of all professions in the UK.

So here's a few ways to get the rent cheque sorted if you're a struggling journo/writer. All it takes is your talent, a few envelopes and a couple of stamps.*

Paul Foot Award
Deadline: 1 September 2008
Categories: Investigative journalism, published in print or online 1 Sept 07 - 31 Aug 08
Prize: 1st (£5000), Runners up (£1000)
Sponsors include: The Guardian, Private Eye
Contact: digby.halsby@midaspr.co.uk

Rory Peck Awards
Deadline: 2 September 2008
Categories: News; Features; Impact by freelance camera operators in TV news and current affairs.
Sponsor: Sony UK
Contact: awards@rorypecktrust.org

Eloquium COPD Award
Deadline: 21 September 2008 Categories: Consumer; Medical; Broadcast
Sponsor: Boehringer Ingelheim
Contact: www.eloquium.org

Plain English Campaign Awards
Deadline: 30 September 2008
Categories: National paper; Regional paper; TV programme
Contact: info@plainenglish.co.uk


*contacts are still everything, sadly. You may have a greater chance of winning the Paul Foot Award if your dad can pass your work onto Ian Hislop's desk, for example.

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Water Water Everywhere - Too Expensive To Drink

Do you ever wonder "Have I got too much money?" Well, now here's a definitive check.

If you find yourself breaking out your credit card to buy Voss Artesian bottled water at £25 for 12, consider yourself institutionalised by capitalism. It does come in a natty glass bottle. But it's still just water, even if it's sourced from under a million-year old glacier in deepest Norway, filtered through virgin's hair (and bottled in a factory on an industrial estate).

To break the cycle of wasting your money on this old rope I recommend giving away all your earthly possessions. Perhaps to some starving journalists. They can be found hanging around Manchetser's pubs and park benches trying not to look like alcoholics.

Voss water can be purchased from Smithfield Wine, previous winners of Salford's Chapel Street Business Group Business of the Month. They also do a very interesting-looking bottle of Lanchester mead for 7 quid. Incidentally, if you've never tried mead, it's honeyed liquer, I promise you'll never go back to wine again.

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iLog: Electronica Extraordinaire

What could be more interesting than a shapely wooden box which creates and records samples of glitch electronica, noise, and the "sound" of light?

Devised and created by three Manchester artists, Simon Blackmore, Antony Hall and Steve Symons, the iLogs allow you not only to listen to music, but to create experimental electronic compositions.

They come fashioned out of mulberry, yew tree or laburnam wood, and to show the boys have a sense of humour, they've called them The iLog Rustle.

They'll be available from Christmas 08, and are potentially the most interesting present you could possibly give.

Make the world a more exciting place and buy one for yourself, an electronica-obsessed friend or wood-fancying hippy!

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Scam Warning: UBI UK LTD

I've just been contacted by the above company, with regard to regaining bank charges. After much discussion, I managed to eke out of them that they charge £49.99 for contacting your bank on your behalf. As you probably know, you can do this for yourself, for free, at Martin Lewis' brilliant site Money Saving Expert. But currently, many cases are tied up in the county court, awaiting the result of a test case to decide their future. As a result, if you give UBI UK Ltd your cash, you might be waiting a long time for the promise of a full refund.

Quoted below is the latest news on reclaiming bank charges:

Q. What has happened in the test case so far?

A. Updated Tue 18 Mar 08. The test case ended on the 8 Feb 08 after nearly four weeks of legal discussion between the banks and the OFT. Soon after, we were told the judge was expected to take a few months to make his decision on whether the charges could be unlawful, as first he needs to check, read, consider and double check everything he has learnt.

It was hoped that the judge would also be able to give some clarity on cases that are currently stayed in the county court but he has not been able to do this because the discussion so far has been focused around banks current terms and conditions, rather than any previous contracts. This issue is yet to be decided and may need an additional hearing in the next few months. In the meantime banks may request cases continue to be stayed, check with your court if you're not sure what's happening to yours.

The latest from the Office of Fair Trading is that it thinks the judgement will be made, at the latest, by the end of July. Although once that's in, both sides will need to review the content, and potentially request an additional hearing or appeal, so we could be waiting some time yet!

More here when we know it...

To read the article in full, go here.

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