Should You Write for Free?

With the decline of news revenue, there has been a conundrum for writers, editors, and readers of news. How valuable is journalism in 2013? Readers are spoiled accustomed to getting news for free, or at the very most a dollar. Editors are yearning for the financial success of yesteryear. And writers are seeing the monetary value of their good work decline because of shortage funds in the newsrooms.

Nate Thayer (google images)

So, knowing that things aren’t as peachy as we would like in the journalism field, should writers make compromises on the price of labor? Nate Thayer doesn’t think so!

The Atlantic, a reputable magazine, asked Thayer to re-purpose an article he’d written for another outlet. Only this time, do it for the total sum of nothing. The editor’s reasoning was that funds were low for freelancers and Thayer’s exposure to the Atlantic’s audience should suffice.

Wrong.

To a newbie – such as myself – the “free” exposure of getting published in a widely circulated magazine would be very tempting. But to Thayer, who says the Atlantic offered a 125k stipend for 6 stories years ago, this is a slap to the face. By taking the offer, am I contributing to the overall decline of freelance pay?