Creating a Journalism Portfolio Website: Tools and Best Practices

To create an effective journalism portfolio website, use intuitive website builders like Wix or Squarespace that offer customizable templates tailored for journalists, ensuring clean navigation and mobile-friendly design.

Best practices include:

• Clear branding: Display your name prominently on the homepage with a professional photo and a concise tagline to immediately communicate who you are.

• Showcase top work: Feature your best or most relevant journalism pieces right on the homepage for easy access.

• Organize samples thoughtfully: Categorize your work by type (e.g., longform, interviews, video), topic (politics, sports), publication, or medium (print, digital, broadcast) to help visitors find relevant content quickly.

• Diverse samples: Include a variety of formats and topics to demonstrate versatility, unless you are targeting a specific niche like sports journalism, in which case focus on relevant samples but still vary the formats.

• Linking and archiving: Provide direct URLs to online articles when stable, or use PDFs and archive links for print or potentially ephemeral content to ensure longevity and accessibility.

• Professional design: Choose readable fonts, a consistent colour palette, and layouts that highlight your portfolio and key information such as your bio or services if freelancing.

• Essential pages: Include an about page, contact page, and optionally a services or testimonials page to facilitate networking and job opportunities.

• Mobile optimization: Ensure your site works well on all devices, as many visitors will access it via phones or tablets, which also improves search engine visibility.

Following these guidelines will help you build a polished, user-friendly journalism portfolio website that effectively showcases your skills and work to editors, clients, or employers.