Contents of this FAQ:
What is UPI Asia Online?
What is UPI?
What is the purpose of UPI Asia Online?
What are the benefits of being a weekly columnist?
Who can be a columnist?
How do I get started?
Will I need to sign a contract?
Who owns the copyright on my writing?
Will I receive any money for this?
What is UPI Asia Online?
UPI Asia Online is an online public meeting place for the exchange and dissemination of information, analyses and commentary on political, social, economic and cultural issues affecting the region. Content is contributed by journalists, scholars, experts and students, and all points of view are welcome. The site's editors particularly invite analyses and proposals related to the resolution of conflicts, fair and effective governance, protection of the environment and ethical concerns.
What is UPI?
United Press International is the oldest privately-owned news agency in the world. Founded by E.W. Scripps on July 15, 1907 under the name United Press, the news agency was created on the principle that there should be no restrictions on who could buy news from a news service. This formula made UP a direct threat to the monopolistic and exclusionary alliances of the major U.S. and European wire services at the time. UPI has won numerous awards over the years, including seven Pulitzer Prizes.
What is the purpose of UPI Asia Online?
There are two main purposes:
- To actively contribute to the building of bridges of understanding between peoples of all nationalities, ethnicities, faiths and political persuasions, by providing a platform for the exchange of views. To encourage rational dialogue, even on issues that generate great passion and controversy, in the interest of finding common ground and adopting forward-looking positions.
- To find and nurture articulate writers. The Web site offers an opportunity for participants to hone their arguments on international issues by presenting them to a critical audience, to consider counter-arguments put forth by those who hold opposing views, and to consider solutions or compromises suggested by analysts and even by readers who contribute their views through the site's interactive features. With regard to students, the program represents an investment in the nurturing of future writers, commentators and editors who have a strong sense of responsibility and desire to help shape the future of the region.
What are the benefits of being a weekly columnist?
Visibility: In addition to being visible on our Web site, columns for UPI Asia Online are distributed to UPI's worldwide customer base of news outlets, online databases, electronic libraries, universities and other websites, as well as individual subscribers.
Name recognition: A regular byline becomes its own calling card. Future employers or partners will be able to evaluate you by how well you think and express yourself. To the degree that people respect the workings of your heart and mind, whether they agree with your opinions or not, you increase their ability to envision you as an associate.
A body of work: After a year, or even a semester, you will have a growing portfolio of columns.
Important contacts: Writing regularly puts you in touch with a lot of people, including journalists, editors, experts and opinion leaders in academia, media, business and your community.
Growth as a writer and communicator: For new writers, the ability to gather, organize and articulate your thoughts will deepen your understanding of your society, region and the world. In addition to making your life a richer experience, a weekly deadline helps instill discipline to strengthen your "writing muscles." By producing regularly, you will develop your own style, voice and rhythm. Being able to communicate well in writing is essential for advancement, no matter what profession you are in.
Credibility. UPI is one of the most respected news and information organizations of the past century. As a columnist associated with UPI, your writing automatically arrives with a certain degree of credibility. Keeping that credibility will be the writer痴 responsibility.
Who can be a columnist?
An ability to express one's views clearly in English is a minimum requirement. If your native language is not English, our editors are prepared to correct and clarify your language, but not your ideas! Academics and experts with a desire to share their insights on current affairs, and especially to propose solutions to problems, are ideal contributors.
University students are welcome to share their explorations in relevant fields of study ・international affairs, political, social or cultural issues ・or merely to comment on life as they experience it. Graduate students are especially invited to test their ideas and theories by presenting them to the Forum's readers and gauging the response of people in other parts of the country and the region.
How do I get started?
Email two sample columns to editor@upiasiaonline.com (400-800 words each). Why two? Anyone can write one great piece, but not everyone can write two good ones. We are looking for good, consistent writers. Your work doesn't have to be perfect, but it should be clear, well-organized and have a point.
You should also write a short introduction of yourself to go at the bottom of each of your columns. You must use your real name. It is helpful to include your organization and position, but not required. Please include an email address so you can receive feedback from readers.
Will I need to sign a contract?
Yes, but it is minimally binding for both you and UPI. For example, either party may dissolve the contract for any reason (or no reason), with five days written notice.
Who owns the copyright on my writing?
You do.
You are granting to UPI Asia Online non-exclusive rights to reproduce, archive, license and distribute your writing. In granting UPI a non-exclusive license, you keep your copyright ownership and the ability to sell or distribute your work in the future, without restriction.
Will I receive any money for this?
Excellent question. The answer is – not likely, and if so, not much.
Here’s how it works: News agencies send out thousands of stories per day to publications, aggregators and resellers. The content is sent as a total package rather than by individual articles. We don’t sell it, or pay our writers, based on who likes one individual’s byline.
However, occasionally someone will purchase one individual article or column to put on their Web site or in a publication. It’s not how people normally buy content from a news agency, but when that happens, we will split that royalty with you 50-50.
Our agreement with our columnists (“content providers”) reads in part: “UPI shall solely pay Content Provider a 50% share of the gross royalty payments received by UPI when UPI licenses an individual article that is part of the Content to a Web site or print publication solely for display purposes.” It goes on to say we don’t pay columnists for what goes out in the regular package to “aggregators, resellers, distributors, and sales agents.”
So honestly, unless you build an international reputation and a great many people are downloading your columns and putting them on their Web sites, you will not make money from this effort. On the other hand there are some very successful columnists in the business. Many of them started with a venue like UPI that gave them visibility. Look at this as an opportunity to have your writing seen, to acquire valuable contacts for your future and establish your professional reputation as a communicator.
If you’re already an established professional writer, then think of UPI as a portal for another 2-3 million pairs of eyeballs per month looking at your work.
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