Online Journalism News

Freelancer of the fortnight: Kim Gurney, Johannesburg, South Africa

Click here to look at Kim Gurney's full freelance profile on Journalism.co.uk.

Why did you choose to become a freelancer?
I chose to freelance for greater flexibility and a broader scope of article topics. 

If you trained, where? If not, how did you become a freelancer?
I have an Honours B. journalism degree (Cum Laude) from Rhodes University in South Africa, majoring in economics, and an MA in international journalism from City University in the UK.

Do you specialise in any particular field and what areas do you write about?
I am an ex-financial journalist who is now a generalist, writing across business, current affairs and arts/culture.

Which publications have you been published in?
A variety of national magazines in South Africa, where I am based, as well as international titles including Newsweek and some UK specialist publications.

Which articles, in which publication, are you the most proud of?
Most recently, a Newsweek article on the xenophobic violence in South Africa; and another on exhumations searching for the skeletal remains of political activists who 'disappeared' during apartheid repression.

What are the best and worst aspects of freelancing?
The independence and flexibility are the best aspects of freelancing. The unpredictable nature of the business and occasional bouts of 'cabin fever' from solitary work are the downsides.

Do you have any interesting anecdotes in relation to your experience as a freelancer?
My first published news report was a murder story in a small town. I was a journalism student, on my way to the theatre, when I passed by a pub where police had cordoned off a crime scene. I whipped out my pen and notebook and landed my first byline - a revenge stabbing, which only merited a few lines in the local rag.

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freelance | south africa | freelancer of the fortnight | kim gurney |

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