📣 Stop the freelance rip-off Fed up with chasing payments? Tell the government what you think. [#202] substack.com/home/post/p-...

✨The value of human content at #FOMT25 Plus: Meet the Future of Media Awards 2025 winners and a new press freedom project [#201] @pressgazette.co.uk www.nikatalbot.io/p/the-value-...

😱 Tired of late payments, kill fees, and other freelance nonsense? Respond to the UK govt's consultation on poor practices. @NUJOfficial has responses to support your submission. An important opportunity for every freelancer. #StopTheFreelanceRipOff: www.nuj.org.uk/resource/sto...

New beginnings ✨ A mini break in York + this week’s recs [#200] www.nikatalbot.io/p/new-beginn...

📣 Members meet tonight 6.30 pm online only @brianone.bsky.social on how he launched @VIEWDigital, to “cover issues that have a major effect on society and get readers talking about them." Plus, new branch & union posts. Please stand. Learn more:

Good old LUSH - shut today in solidarity. Their bestselling fundraising soap, Watermelon Slice, will be back soon 🍉 - buy a bar and support adults & children injured in Gaza. Small, simple steps do make a difference and can help put a stop to this genocide. weare.lush.com/lush-life/co...

🍉 Honouring Gazan journalists 5.30 pm tonight Opposite Downing St ALL journos and media workers welcome. Please join us. Please share widely. #StopKillingJournalists www.nikatalbot.io/p/honouring-...

📆 HONOURING GAZAN JOURNALISTS Wed 27 August, 5.30 pm Opposite Downing St ALL journalists and media workers - please join us. Please share widely. #StopKillingJournalists @AJEnglish @WaelDahdouh @WeAreNotNumbers www.londonfreelance.org/fl/2508gaza-...

We'll be there!

✍️Plagiarism on Substack Protecting your work online [#199] www.nikatalbot.io/p/plagiarism...

Let’s talk money 🤑 A Pocketful of Rye [#198] www.nikatalbot.io/p/lets-talk-...

Being laid off PLUS: 💎 Internet Gems — what I’ve been reading, watching and listening to this week [#197] www.nikatalbot.io/p/i-was-laid...

Being laid off PLUS: 💎 Internet Gems — what I’ve been reading, watching and listening to this week [#197] www.nikatalbot.io/p/i-was-laid...

Last week the NUJ joined @tuc.org.uk's LGBT+ Conference 2025, which emphasised the importance of intersectional solidarity throughout the trade union movement. www.nuj.org.uk/resource/tuc...

Ready to rock 🤘 Black Sabbath: 57 years on, still going strong [#196] www.nikatalbot.io/p/ready-to-r...

If you're still building on this July 4th holiday like me, here are two (energetic OR calming) playlists to get you in the zone 👇

Happy Independents Day! 🥳

A freelance champion 👀 UK Government’s £380m Creative Industries Sector Plan [#195] - just finished reading it. Some key bits for the self-employed. www.nikatalbot.io/p/a-freelanc...

10 Things from Cannes Lions 2025 🇫🇷 www.nikatalbot.io/p/10-things-...

People buy people, not brands: The human connection Lessons from London's Publisher Newsletter Summit and Awards [#193] Thanks to the team and sponsors for making me feel so welcome and a brilliant event 💖 @estherkeziat.bsky.social @mediavoices.bsky.social www.nikatalbot.io/p/people-buy...

“I’m explaining my life in a comic book – it’s a form of active resistance.” www.nikatalbot.io/p/im-explain...

The Publisher Newsletter Summit ‘25 - a full day of newsletter (+ print) magic on 10 June, Vauxhall Arches ✨ Let me know if you’re planning to go, be nice to say hello. See the full agenda & save 20% on your ticket in my latest issue: substack.com/home/post/p-... @mediavoices.bsky.social

Café trauma - when your mobile office isn't welcome www.nikatalbot.io/p/cafe-traum...

🤗 Gotta love these UK SME Awards - a hat trick now - congrats to me! Also love how niche the titles are getting… it’s fascinating. I’ll be taking the free, complimentary package ;-)

“Our work is not yours to give away". Ahead of a crucial vote in the House of Lords today on AI & copyright - here’s the letter that’s been sent to @Keir_Starmer calling on him to enforce copyright law. 🤞 www.nuj.org.uk/resource/nuj...

A casual Substack nightmare 🌊 www.nikatalbot.io/p/a-casual-s...

“Our work is not yours to give away”. The NUJ joins 100s of signatories calling on Keir Starmer to enforce copyright law. Transparency requirements must call on AI firms to inform copyright owners of works used in their models. www.nuj.org.uk/resource/nuj...

Excellent news. It’s a balancing act - enabling creators and UK AI companies to flourish. Through some form of dynamic licensing - we can lead the way! Still time to email your MP to safeguard creators’ rights - they’ll be voting on it soon. Link in comments. 🙏 www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Personal sovereignty [#186] www.nikatalbot.io/p/personal-s...

Booked for this tonight - have rejoined The Media Society as some good events coming up - and a new podcast. Plus 25% discount atm. Very hot on the vegan Riviera - sat here with my shorts on doing my tax return. Want it done in April 😎 #substack eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-media-...

On my way to sunny #Blackpool for the NUJ Delegate Meeting #DM25 Feels good to be part of a member-led union – policy is shaped by members (we get together every two years in a big hall to hammer things out – it’s lively!). LFB has sent 8 motions. Here are the key points: buff.ly/LZ8yAH7

Great news - a good start! 🎉 ALCS & PLS Licensing have agreed for the CLA UK to start development of a license to pay authors when their work is used to train AI. Love getting referrals from ChatGPT - of course we want to be included but let's #MakeItFair. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...

#Italy: Catching up on #ijf25 - Perugia's big week in media [#184] + Upcoming events on fr33lancing and newsletters. Which bits stood out for you? www.nikatalbot.io/p/catching-u...

Remembering the 211 journalists killed in Gaza since October 2023 and calling for justice at #ijf25

The final message of Hossam Shabat, the 23-year-old journalist who the Israeli military assassinated today, along with Palestine Today correspondent Mohammad Mansour. We will not allow their work to be silenced.

"If you have to be there, and you're having a horrible time of it, just having a conversation with peers can release a lot of the pressure that you feel" www.nikatalbot.io/p/need-a-new... “Mental health starts with ME” @nikatalbot.bsky.social #BrokenSouls newsletter @journalismnews.bsky.social

A little experiment could be Internet rationing @nikatalbot.bsky.social “found these communal, focused work sessions super productive” mariamiret.substack.com/p/emotions-i... A way to look after yourself, above all if you need a news break www.lizandmollie.com/user-guide #BrokenSouls newsletter

‘No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work’ is an interesting reading on the emotional side of leadership www.amazon.co.uk/No-Hard-Feel... #BrokenSouls newsletter @journalismnews.bsky.social @nikatalbot.bsky.social

Hey, it's Nika. I'm building this: A newsletter for media makers building indie businesses. Creative ideas, expert insights, and writing tools — plus invites to the Writers Café meetups. Come on in, the water's lovely! 👇 www.nikatalbot.io/welcome

Worth checking what comes up under your name... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Recommending Shawnee - she is super engaged and helpful!

I am working out of a public library and there are a good number of people who seem to be on hard times using the facilities for various reasons like job searching, entertainment, charging peripherals, using the bathroom, etc., and I am struck by how important it is that libraries continue to exist

When do you do your digital gardening? Any tools for thought? www.nikatalbot.io/p/digital-ga...

Newspapers unite! [#179] AI Plan B. Plus: A talk with @carolecadwalla.bsky.social on How to Survive the Tech Broligarchy. @nujlfb.bsky.social #IWD2025 #MakeItFair www.nikatalbot.io/p/newspapers...

#AI & Creative Work - Copyright wins a wave of support. 🎧 Is This What We Want? - a very ambient campaigning album ✅ A joint statement from SITC and CMS committee chairs 🗞️ What the papers have to say ✔️ Formal responses to the consultation 🤖 Supplementary weirdness buff.ly/fGvXwWp

📷Culture IRL: The Face. "We were making it up as we went along on The Face." open.substack.com/pub/nikatalb...

✍️ Writers IRL: My First Substack Meetup [#177] How it went + a 2025 media & publishing events calendar for you. www.nikatalbot.io/p/writers-ir...

LFB members meeting tonight! I'll be giving you a whistlestop tour of digital publishing options for writers & creators 💨 💨 Substack, Beehiiv, LinkedIn, books and more :) Plus, an update on the battle for the Observer and related matters. Zoom link sent. www.londonfreelance.org/lfb/meetings...

Lovely to meet the fabulous Enid Williams at my Substack meetup last week.

Calling all magazine romantics! [#176] Let's bring back the best bits of the glossies - send me your submissions for International Women's Day 2025. #IWD #InternationalWomensDay www.nikatalbot.io/p/calling-al...