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March 2007 - Posts

Saturday, March 31, 2007 4:19 AM

Venture capitalists prowl Shanghai with sacks of cash

You can't spit in the street in Shanghai these days without hitting a venture capitalist trying to give out money. The economy is growing so far, and there are so many opportunities, that it's a tempting target like no other.However, only a small proportion
posted by MariaTrombly | 0 Comments
Friday, March 30, 2007 4:34 PM

Keeping my hands off hot young would-be freelancers

Tonight I took two would-be freelance writers out to dinner at the local Russian restaurant. (The Flying Elephant, at 525 Guangdong Lu.)There was a Russian band playing, and a party in full swing (the Russians do love a party). One of the writers, Wang
posted by MariaTrombly | 0 Comments
Friday, March 30, 2007 6:19 AM

It's not about the money. Yes it is.

Nobody becomes a print journalist to make money. Even the world's most talented writers probably make more money from the movie rights to their articles and books, or from speaking fees, than the articles or books themselves. It's just a fact of the profession
posted by MariaTrombly | 1 Comments
Thursday, March 29, 2007 6:40 PM

New journos hangout in Shanghai

If you're in town in Shanghai on a Thursday night -- and now you have an excuse to come visit -- join us at Cotton's Bar on the corner of Anting Lu and Jianguo Lu.The owner, Cotton, is an old friend of my ex-husband. Tell her I sent you, and that I say
posted by MariaTrombly | 0 Comments
Thursday, March 29, 2007 5:08 PM

Buying journalism

Tonight, at our weekly drinking session, a fellow journalist called me on the fact that I was planning to name names and point fingers at companies that gave money to journalists to cover their events. But still haven't. Did I chicken out? Almost. A person
posted by MariaTrombly | 0 Comments
Wednesday, March 28, 2007 3:45 PM

Drinking the night away in Tsinghua beer ville

Tomorrow night, Shanghai journalists will be continuing a long-standing tradition of foreign correspondents everywhere: they will go out to a bar and drink. It's a regular Thursday night event for us here, or we hope it will be. Last Thursday, we started
posted by MariaTrombly | 0 Comments
Wednesday, March 28, 2007 6:11 AM

Why I'm not Hemingway

The initial inspiration for me to become a war correspondent was to be like Hemingway. I wanted to drink, smoke, and write novels. I tried doing some of this while in Chicago (I was covering the northern suburbs for the Chicago Tribune). But I discovered
posted by MariaTrombly | 0 Comments
Tuesday, March 27, 2007 5:57 AM

Sex and Sales in Shanghai -- Part 2

Okay, when freelance writers call me up for advice, I always have time to sit down over coffee and lunch and get them started. This includes introducing them to three or four editors who are looking for new writers. I'm always happy to see their names
posted by MariaTrombly | 0 Comments
Tuesday, March 27, 2007 4:39 AM

Sex and Sales in Shanghai

Last week, Scott Adams posted an eye-opening piece in his Dilbert Blog, "Today I Will Improve Your Sex Life." (My sex life hasn't improved -- it's as bad as when I was still married! - but I've got high hopes). But the more important part
posted by MariaTrombly | 0 Comments
Monday, March 26, 2007 9:22 AM

Down and out and about in Shanghai

Robert Near is trying to break into journalism in Shanghai. In a recent posting, he writes that my account of the difficulties of getting started resonates with him. He teaches English, he copyedits, and he writes lifestyle pieces for magazines both in
posted by MariaTrombly | 0 Comments
Monday, March 26, 2007 7:57 AM

War journalism

I'll write more on this topic later, but right now I'd like to point everyone to a fantastic post by Michael Yon about how he started as a war correspondent. It's a fascinating read about Iraq and is yet another example of how to become a foreign correspondent
posted by MariaTrombly | 0 Comments
Monday, March 26, 2007 7:07 AM

It's not all bad news

From reading my post yesterday, I guess some people got the idea that it's all bad news for journos looking for overseas assignments. (Yes, I mean you, Fons -- http://www.chinaherald.net/2007/03/how-to-become-foreign-correspondent.html.)That wasn't what
posted by MariaTrombly | 0 Comments
Sunday, March 25, 2007 1:31 PM

How to become a foreign correspondent

I get asked this question a lot "how do you become a foreign correspondent"? I've answered it a lot as well (one of these answers is posted here: http://maria.trombly.com/FAQ.htm#correspondent). But my perspective on this has changed over time as I gained
posted by MariaTrombly | 0 Comments
Saturday, March 24, 2007 5:50 AM

Greetings from Shanghai, China

Dan Kubiske, chair of the SPJ's International Journalism Committee, suggested that I blog about my experiences running a bureau out here in Shanghai, so this is it.Some background -- I came to China three years ago, to run the China bureau for Securities
posted by MariaTrombly | 4 Comments