Journalism by Jennie Kermode
A little about what I do...
Journalism is a tough career to be in. There's a lot of competition for relatively few jobs. I got into it because, being housebound by my illness, I didn't have a choice; but I've stuck with it because I love it. Despite the mercenary attitude many people associate with journalists today, I'm in it because I care about the truth and because I have something to say.
I'm content director at Eye For Film, the UK's most diverse online film resource. With an archive of over 16,000 reviews, we aim to cover all major new film and DVD releases. We're particularly strong on independent film and short film, and we provide good festival coverage. I'm responsible for co-ordinating a team of around fifty writers in the UK and abroad, liaising with PRs and commissioning features, and doing some hands-on editing work. I have good contacts in the industry and I've recently expanded what we do to include a new column with reviews of books about the film business.
"Eye For Film is an Edinburgh-based movie reviews and news website, made by people with an obvious knowledge and passion for films. It also has a way with pithy one-liners, as its on-the-button observation about the woeful Year One that 'when the best you can say about a film is that it's not actively offensive, you're in trouble' clearly shows." - The Scotsman.
I'm entertainment correspondent at Pinke, a website whose aim is to provide coverage of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in a family friendly way. I aim to source material from a diverse range of sources and cover plenty of different angles, letting my readers know what a wide range of stuff is going on out there. This is an exciting job for me because it brings together two of my areas of interest.
I'm in the process of developing a role as European film correspondent at leading Indian literary and political magazine The Caravan. This provides an opportunity for me to go into more depth with my writing and take a philosophical approach to the relationship between film and society.
I've also written on a diverse range of topics for other publications. I'm interested in political work, especially in the field of equalities and human rights; and I'm also interested in cultural work and arts journalism, having worked in the fine arts, music and books as well as film. I'm always looking for interesting new opportunities for publication, as well as for PRs with fresh leads in the above-mentioned areas.
Go back to Jennie's Writing Page.
Last updated 4th July, 2009.