rethink

Ashok · Site Admin Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Posts: 16

This post by Kristine Lowe is critical to starting this discussion. I'm curious about the implications:

Amanda · Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 21

Speculation: shoddy research, soapboxing to make the job worthwhile, pointless articles and a preference to report the same stupid celebrity-based story everybody else is running.

There is a, well, she is actually a columnist not quite the same, in my hometown. Based on what she writes, she has either been given absolute free reign in her column or the paper hired her to constantly stir up racist sentiments. It would be hard to offer a guess as to how much they pay her, but I am positive it's not much. Assuming they have just given her free reign with the column, (as opposed to requiring that she write (well) on relevant newsworthy topics), I would guess that she had significant leverage in this decision, considering (and I am assuming, but it is highly likely that the assumption is true) she's basically writing the articles for free.

Probably a bad example, mainly because she is a small-time columnist, but I think this could- and probably does- apply to some degree on a large scale. Kind of like the Burger King employee who stares at you like a moron from across the counter because he wasn't assigned a register until you give up and leave without ordering (haha, yeah, great example, this is another personal experience); can you really blame him when he is 1. not enabled to do the job properly, anyway, and 2. has no incentive whatsoever to do the job when his paycheck probably doesn't cover the gas required to get to work.

But, eh, what do I know?

Ashok · Site Admin Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Posts: 16

I wonder if it is the case that the market never has a clue how to value those who provide information. We certainly know how to value those who provide manual labor and technical expertise, but knowing generally is looked upon as a type of leisure, it seems.

Amanda · Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 21

Lance · Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 1

Hello everyone this is my first post on this forum. On the subject of unpaid journalists you might like to check out http://www.digitaljournal.com/. This website is a online newpaper/forum that covers Mainstream and or Interesting news. The journalists (of which i am one) are paid very small amount of money ranging form 20 to 200 dollar a month depending on the quality and quantity of articals that they write. This website i would consider , provides accurate good quality news despite the fact its reporters are paid next to nothing.

Sorry about the spelling i know its terrible.
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