Freelance Writing Ain’t Easy, Especially When You’re Not White
Tags: Society, Equality, Culture, Race, Film

Freelance Writing Ain’t Easy, Especially When You’re Not White

Our Voices Only Matter On Special Occasions

Image by Antonio Cansino from Pixabay

If you discuss how much freelance writers make, income will fluctuate signficantly. Usually though, the further away you are from being white, male and able-bodied, the less value your voice has because society trains us to view white voices as authorities on all subjects—white men even more-so.

They are looked to for topics on racism, poverty, PIC (prison industrial complex) and others that they have no personal experience—but hey, they read a book. They are rarely challenged or questioned, especially if the have a PhD before their name because that gives them carte blanche to talk, with authority, about every damn topic. Look at Elon Musk, who talks about COVID and people think since he has a business, and a degree in economics and physics, he must know what he’s talking about.

As such, there is little necessity for voices outside of that, and when they do want our voices, it’s usually only one. Most publications either staff no Black writers or PoC writers, or staff one and that’s their go to for only topics related to race, etc. They pigeonhole us. They limit us. They only look for us during times when the topic is hot or Black History Month, Indigenous Peoples Day and any special occasion where they look foolish having a white person write about it.

We are constantly fighting to get our foot in the door, especially as film critics where the voices are overwhelmingly white and thanks to the variety of roadblocks we are stifled even more.

Screeners

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

When we request film or show screeners, it’s a roll of the dice whether we will get it. Because a lot of the rules ensure that only certain voices are heard. Often, they will ask if you have a guaranteed publication that you are writing a review or feature for and if the publication is a bit smaller, it’s likely they will say no.

If you don’t have a place but want to see the movie and then pitch it, another chance you’ll get a no. Often the people who get their hands on films and shows first are staff and again—they’re usually white. So then, like the films and shows that we decry are overly saturated with whiteness, we get an over-saturation of white critics writing reviews that often sound the same as their fellow critics, overlooking the same things as them.

Some publications will even ask if you received a screener for the movie you’re pitching so you can be caught in a catch-22, where you can’t get the screener without a publication and the publication won’t accept your pitch without you screening the film.

Film Festivals

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

Costs of film festivals can be prohibitively expensive. Especially for freelancers who have to foot the cost to attend the festivals and don’t have a steady income stream. Even the application process for some of these festivals automatically shut out freelance, diverse voices because they require both the publication you are representing (because you must be part of the bigger machine) and some even require that publication to be at a certain level of traffic to their site—again removing smaller publications which usually have a more diverse group of writers.

Some festivals are doing their best to be more inclusive, but it’s still not enough because more writers inevitably give up film criticism as they are tired of hounding people for screeners. Even worse, few places take the initiative to be inclusive. They are happy keeping us out until enough noise is made on social media discussing a film or show that only sent out screeners to a particular demographic, then all of a sudden they fix their “mistake”.

The mistake isn’t a mistake, when you hire people who only want to hear white voices review their films, shows. The mistake isn’t a mistake when it takes public pressure for it to be corrected. The mistake isn’t a mistake when it’s designed to force out diverse voices and it does succeed.

It’s upsetting, tiring and frustrating to experience and hear fellow writers talk about screeners they emailed a request for and were either outright ignored, told no, or told they will hear back later—but never do.

They need to question who they hire and who they are allow to screen films and interview the cast, because there is no excuse that is acceptable anymore. Clueless by choice isn’t clueless, it’s plausible deniability and we are tired of hearing the lies.