Jem Collins is the founder of Journo Resources, a digital start-up which helps and supports those both breaking into and progressing within the journalism industry with a range unique tools and resources.
Founded in 2016, it is now viewed more than 30,000 times every month, with a newsletter going to more than 2,500 people, and a robust business plan to support growth and sustainability. Current industry partners and clients involve major industry players such as Cision Jobs, The Telegraph and The Daily Mail.
Initially from a small village in rural Devon, Jem graduated from a journalism degree at the University of Kent in 2014. She went straight into work as a full-time digital journalist, initially producing online video for local TV station KMTV, before progressing to politics.co.uk and then becoming a full-time freelancer in 2016. Her bylines include the i Paper, Metro.co.uk, the Sun, PinkNews, Debut Careers and others. This was also the year she founded Journo Resources, frustrated by the lack of transparency and accessibility in the profession, while at the same time feeling a lack of support as a freelancer new to the game. Additionally, as a long term trustee for the Student Publication Association, the UK’s biggest non-profit body to support student journalists, she found the same questions coming up over and over.
Jem decided to rethink careers education and support for those in journalism, producing unique, practical tools which could not be found elsewhere online. For example, the website is the only place you can find details on salary levels for hundreds of journalism jobs, has the only full list of graduate schemes, awards and mentoring within the media industry, and is the only journalism advice publisher to distill our insight onto Instagram as native content.
In 2018 Jem was awarded the Georgina Henry Award for Digital Innovation at the Press Awards for her work on Journo Resources, complete with a £3,000 prize. This allowed her to leave the full-time job she had accepted in 2017 as news editor of RightsInfo, a small digital charity which aims to inspire people to think again about human rights.
She now works on Journo Resources for three days a week, as well as freelancing for a range of national and specialist outlets. As well as developing Journo Resources’ innovative digital output, she also manages business, impact, and strategy, with income now supporting her time and a number of freelancers. She is a frequent face at events across the country, having been commissioned to deliver workshops on digital journalism skills at universities including Oxford, Bristol, Leeds, Cardiff, London Met and Cork and is a regular commentator on industry issues, appearing on platforms such as the BBC and LBC.