“Freelance” journalism isn’t about freeing someone named Lance, but there’s a joke:
 
“I used to be a freelance journalist, but I was crap. Lance is still in prison.”
 
The joke has been cited in print since at least 2008.
 
   
Pearl Jam
Who likes bad jokes?
EddiEEddiE
January 2008
I used to be a free lance journalist….
...but I was crap…
.....Lance is still in prison….
 
Twitter
Ste
‏@Shaker_Chizzle
I used to be a freelance journalist. I was shit at it…Lance is still in prison.
4:59 PM - 27 Feb 2009
 
Twitter
The Mad Hatter
‏@dhruvster
I used to be a freelance journalist. I was rubbish. Lance is still in prison.
9:25 AM - 30 Apr 2009
 
Twitter
Sidney Kochman
‏@sidneykochman
“I used to be a freelance journalist. I was crap…Lance is still in prison.”
11:01 PM - 16 Apr 2010
 
Twitter
S Moss
‏@gyna118
I used to be a freelance journalist. I got the sack though. I was crap, Lance is still in prison.
3:20 PM - 2 Sep 2010
 
Twitter
Charley Genever
‏@charleyfarleyha
I used to be a freelance journalist, I wasn’t very good, Lance is still in prison.
4:49 PM - 11 Feb 2011
 
Google Books
The Mammoth Book of One-Liners
Edited by Geoff Tibballs
London: Constable & Robinson Ltd
2012
Pg. ?:
I used to be a freelance journalist but I wasn’t very good. Lance is still in prison.
 
Twitter
Crap Jokes
‏@TheCrapJoker
I used to be a freelance journalist, but I wasn’t very good at it
Lance is still in prison.
6:30 AM - 3 Jul 2016