Last reviewed: Next review due:
What a journalism portfolio actually is
A journalism portfolio is a curated collection of your published — or polished unpublished — work that demonstrates you can report, write, verify, and communicate to a professional standard. Unlike a CV, which lists what you have done, a portfolio shows it. Editors at regional papers, national desks, broadcasters, and digital-first outlets all want the same thing: evidence that you can produce publishable copy on deadline.
The structure of a great portfolio has four elements: an about section (who you are, your beat, your contact details), a curated clip selection (10–15 pieces), a beat or specialism signal (what you are building expertise in), and a clear way to reach you. Every element should make an editor’s decision easier.
When your portfolio is the deciding factor
- 1Applying for staff reporter or junior journalist roles at any outlet.
- 2Pitching to an editor for the first time as a freelancer — they will look for clips before responding.
- 3Applying for graduate training schemes (BBC, Reuters, Guardian) — your clips are part of the application.
- 4Career changing into journalism from another profession — your portfolio proves you can actually write.
- 5Going from unpaid work experience to your first paid position — it is often the only thing in your favour.
- 6Applying for fellowships, residencies, or funded investigative projects.
Red flags editors see immediately
- More than 20 clips with no curation — signals you cannot distinguish your best from your average work.
- Broken links to published pieces — maintenance matters; check monthly.
- Clips only from your own blog with no third-party editorial validation.
- No hard news story — features alone suggest you cannot work to a breaking deadline.
- A design-heavy site that takes five seconds to load and buries the actual writing.
- A "last updated" date from two years ago — looks like you stopped writing.
- Clips in only one format (all features, or all op-eds) with no range demonstrated.
- An about page with a tone that reads like a LinkedIn summary rather than a journalist’s voice.
Portfolio build checklist
- Choose 10–15 clips — your absolute best, not a complete archive.
- Include at least one hard news story with quotes, facts, and a tight structure.
- Include at least one longer feature or investigation showing depth.
- Include at least one interview or profile demonstrating source work.
- Add a multimedia example (audio, video, data visualisation) if you have one.
- Ensure every clip has a working URL — or supply a PDF backup clearly labelled.
- Write an about section in your own voice: who you are, what you cover, where to reach you.
- List your contact email prominently — do not make editors hunt for it.
- Test the portfolio on mobile — many editors will view it on their phone.
- Check spelling on every page of your own portfolio site; typos here are fatal.
Portfolio platforms compared
Muck Rack
Industry-standard platform. Aggregates published clips from outlets automatically. Free tier available. Widely searched by editors and PRs. Best if you already have published clips from recognised outlets.
Contently
Strong visual presentation, good for multimedia and magazine-style portfolios. Free tier available. Recognised by editors at consumer and lifestyle titles.
Authory
Excellent for automatic clip import and archiving. Creates PDF backups of articles in case they are deleted by the outlet. Paid but well-regarded for professional use.
Personal site (custom domain)
Maximum control and professionalism. Use Squarespace, WordPress, or a static site. A domain in your own name (firstname lastname.com or .co.uk) signals you are serious about your career.
Tools for building your journalism career
Use our pitch email generator to land your first clips, and the freelance rate calculator to price your work correctly.
Common portfolio mistakes
- Including pieces you wrote three years ago that no longer represent your skill level.
- Overloading the portfolio with opinion pieces and underweighting reported news stories.
- Using a clunky CMS template that makes the portfolio harder to navigate than the writing is good.
- Sending a portfolio link that requires the recipient to log in or create an account.
- Forgetting to update your contact details when you change your email address.
- Using a free subdomain (e.g., yourname.wordpress.com) when a custom domain costs £10 a year.
- Writing an about section in the third person — it reads as if your publicist wrote it.
- Not tailoring your featured clips to the outlet you are applying to — lead with relevant beats.