Michelle Solomon

I have tried my hand at a few careers. At first, there was music. My teen obsession led me to collect a jumbo Takamine semi-acoustic guitar, a sunburst electric Cort as well as a secondhand Fender amp from the 90s. My interest in music subsided when I began to toy with a pencil. I fancied myself an artist, collected sketched portraits and paintings, and relished the smell of oil paint and the smears on my jeans. That was until, in 2005, a group of students at my high school founded a newspaper, Just Write. I traded in my pencil for a pen and notebook, a laptop and breaking news. By 2006 I had started my journalism degree at Rhodes University and was news editor at the student newspaper. I graduated from Rhodes University with my bachelor of journalism in 2009 and, having specialised in TV journalism, decided to go back to my analogue roots. I joined the East London-based and award-winning print newspaper the Daily Dispatch, where I worked as a consumer journalist and general news reporter for a year. In late 2010 I was awarded a scholarship by the South African Reserve Bank to complete my masters in media studies. I then left the Daily Dispatch and returned to Rhodes University in 2011 as a full-time student and part-time freelance journalist and researcher. I am now researching and writing my dissertation about how the carbon market is covered by South African business journalists. When not working towards my degree, I am the chair of student society the Gender Action Project (Gap) and the editor of student newspaper the Oppidan Press. Most importantly, I am available for freelance research, writing, photography and basic web design. Please don't hesitate to contact me.