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Freelancer of the fortnight: Brett Debritz, Glasgow

Posted: 12/11/08 By: Clare Fisher
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Click here to look at Brett Debritz's full freelance profile on Journalism.co.uk.

Why did you choose to become a freelancer?
After many years of full-time work, which included holding senior positions such as managing editor, features editor, chief reporter, chief sub-editor and arts and entertainment editor, I decided to freelance so I could see some more of the world. I'm a British citizen, but I have spent most of my life in Australia and have only just relocated to the UK. I’m in Glasgow, which is a great base for travelling across Britain, Europe and the world.

If you trained, where? If not, how did you become a freelancer?
I studied journalism at the University of Queensland in Australia as part of an arts degree, which also includes majors in English literature and history. After that I did a short cadetship with a regional newspaper before joining a daily newspaper in Brisbane.

Do you specialise in any particular field and what areas do you write about?
My major specialities are entertainment, the arts and travel. However, thanks to my strong background working across all editorial departments in major metropolitan newspapers and magazines, I'm ready, willing and able for just about any assignment.

Which publications have you been published in?
I have been published in newspapers in Australia, the UK and Asia and on websites that are viewed around the world. Publications include all the top-selling Sunday newspapers in Australia, the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, the Shanghai Daily and some titles in England. I have also worked as a sub-editor for newspapers in Australia, China and Britain; I run a suite of websites that have attracted tens of thousands of visitors; and I have a weekly spot on Brisbane radio station 612 ABC, where I talk about entertainment news and the lighter side of life.

Which articles, in which publication, are you the most proud of?
This question is a bit like asking someone which one of their children they love the most. With very few exceptions, I'm proud of everything I have done.

On a personal level, it's been a thrill to be able to interview and write about some of the big names of the entertainment world, mostly for The Sunday Mail and The Sun in Brisbane and The Sunday Telegraph in Sydney. These have included Bob Geldof, Ben Elton, Woody Allen, Sir Peter Ustinov, Mel Gibson, Geoffrey Rush, Rik Mayall, Blossom Dearie, Elvis Costello, Clive James, Luciano Pavarotti, Hugh Hefner (and his girlfriends, at the Playboy Mansion), Eric Idle and Barry Humphries (both as Dame Edna and himself).

On a professional level, the big news scoops are always extremely satisfying, as are stories that have changed people's lives. A series of articles I wrote for The Queensland Times about a fire in a long-abandoned underground coal mine that was sending hazardous fumes into a residential area resulted in a personal visit to the site by the Premier of the state and action to solve the problem.

What are the best and worst aspects of freelancing?
The best side of it is the flexibility, which is especially important to me at the moment, plus the opportunity for travel. The downside is chasing money from clients. That was a real headache the first time I freelanced - in Australia about 10 years ago - but, fingers crossed, it hasn't been a problem this time around.

Do you have any interesting anecdotes in relation to your experience as a freelancer?
This actually happened while I was in a full-time job, but I think it's worth relating: I was interviewing Ben Elton over lunch at a restaurant and I spied a group of senior executives from my newspaper at another table. I mentioned this to Ben and he insisted on getting up, going over to their table, introducing himself and telling them what a great fellow I was. Years later, the editor and deputy editor were still telling the story.

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