A good report can oftentimes stand on its own feet if you plan for it correctly. For instance, the MoJo mentors at In Old News always emphasize the need of creating a storyboard before getting down on the ground for reporting. What is a storyboard? It's a written tabular road map of all the interviews, images of the people and their surroundings and a general idea of how you want to make your story, in a written format. This serves as a reference document when you're out shooting and reporting to remember to shoot all that you thought of. And that's the most ideal way to do it.
But sometimes, like in the current situation owing to the pandemic, getting out to get footage is either not possible, or not advisable. But the report must go on. And to help in situations like these, you can source copyright-free media from the internet. Let's see what these reliable sources are:
FREEPIK [Vectors and Photos]
Freepik is an online repository from where you can download free photos and vectors. Once you click to open the file, please pay attention to the information given on the right-hand side to check if the image is licensed for commercial purposes and if attribution is required or not.
PEXELS [Photos and Videos]
Pexels works similarly. And it has a video repository too. If you're a shutterbug, you can also join their ongoing challenges and contribute to the ever-expanding collection. To check for attribution and licensing details, click open a photo/video, and you'll find an "info" tab sitting right under the media.
PIXABAY [Photos, Vectors, Illustration, and Videos]
Another robust platform, Pixabay is a popular choice. When you search for a category, you'll see the top tray on the result page consists of paid media, followed by free to use options below. Again, remember to check for attribution and licensing details on the right to the media window.
UNSPLASH [Photos]
A photo-only platform, Unsplash is an organised directory of photos. Most of their media is free to use, but it doesn't harm to check once before downloading the image. To check, click open the file, and you'll find the details right under the photo.
MOTION ARRAY [Editing Software Templates, Images, Audio, and Video]
Motion Array is a great place to find templates compatible with video editing software. The platform also has other media, including royalty-free audio, but its usability varies. Some assets are free, and other assets are only available for those who have a monthly subscription. If you don't have a paid license, you can still download some stock videos, photos and music.
YOUTUBE STUDIO [Music and Sound Effects] Finding copyright free music is tricky. Though the resources are limited, it gets the job done. YouTube has both music and sound effects that you can sift through using mood, duration, genre and other such filters. The option to access the library is a little hidden. Allow this video to guide you through:
FACEBOOK CREATOR STUDIO [Music and Sound Effects] Facebook, too, has an audio library to offer. The only limitation: you can use these audio files for videos shared on Facebook or Instagram only. If that serves your purpose, here's how you can access the library:
If you're keen on spending money, audiio is a worthwhile platform to subscribe to for music.
As we said, copyright-free music is tough to find. Even music playing at a low volume in the background can get you a copyright strike. The copyright claim mechanism on the internet is efficient, and it's not worth meddling with. Because getting a copyright claim on your social media channels can affect the reach and visibility of your content.
Delhi-based news website Patriot is looking for a social media manager. The candidate must have a minimum of two years experience of in handling social media in a newsroom. They should also have basic knowledge of how a website functions to be able to coordinate with the team handling the back-end.
Location: Delhi
Interested candidates share your profile at: promac@thepatriot.in
NEWJ is looking to hire English Reporters for Mumbai Location. The candidate must have 1-3 years of professional experience as a News Journalist. Candidates with experience with daily news, documentary-style shorts, storytellers will be preferred.
Interested candidates can send in their CV to: meenakshi.mahadik@thenewj.com with their reporting work link.
Immediate joiners will be preferred.
TOI is looking for a Relationship Writer (English)
Location: Noida
Candidate must have experience of 9+ years.
Candidate must have experience in English Content Writing.
Candidate must have experience writing in relationship/ lifestyle.
Interested candidates share your profile at sweta.mohanty@timesinternet.in with the subject line: (Relationship Writer)
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
This newsletter is an attempt to keep up and share all the latest and greatest stories in media and how they get done. Read about it here: About In Old News-Letter. And if you were forwarded this newsletter, here’s how you can sign up to get the latest editions as they come out!