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Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Media How Many Readers Does It Take to Pay a Reporter?

Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 2:46 PM

You should read this post about Nate Thayer's negotiations with The Atlantic about a piece they wanted him to write. Here's the climax:

Thanks for responding. Maybe by the end of the week? 1,200 words? We unfortunately can’t pay you for it, but we do reach 13 million readers a month. I understand if that’s not a workable arrangement for you, I just wanted to see if you were interested.

The Atlantic, of course, was heralded in 2011 as being a "successful" magazine. Maybe we ought to rethink our idea of what "success" means. I came to this post from MG Siegler's parislemon. Siegler points out that Marco Arment's The Magazine, which is digital and subscriber-only, reaches a much smaller audience but pays $800 an article. Maybe the biggest audience isn't what matters. Maybe what matters is finding quality readers.

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The Bold Italic, with a small and digital-only readership as well, also offers decent pay for pieces.

Posted by Dougsf on March 5, 2013 at 3:00 PM

We "subscribe" to the Atlantic and the Economist because we got them free for frequent-flyer miles. Not that many pages of each issue get turned.

We pay actual money for Pacific Fisherman, AutoWeek, Shooting Times and Us, so those usually get read first and more completely.

Posted by ScrawnyKayaker on March 5, 2013 at 3:04 PM

Sounds like being a freelance journalist has a lot in common with being a freelance musician as far as "getting paid" and "exposure".

Posted by tiktok on March 5, 2013 at 3:08 PM

@3 well at least you're staying current on the topics that matter!

Posted by NaFun

on March 5, 2013 at 3:08 PM

Arg, @2

Posted by NaFun

on March 5, 2013 at 3:09 PM

I actually think it was rude that she wasn't clear about compensation from the get go. When we work with performance artists, or commission someone to use their visual artwork, one of the first things we tell them is what we can pay.

Posted by lauramae on March 5, 2013 at 3:20 PM

Now he knows how people in bands feel. "We can't pay you, but think of the EXPOSURE!"

Posted by Actionsquid on March 5, 2013 at 3:24 PM

You've convinced me, Paul; the Slog would be infinitely improved by a paywall.

Posted by Olo on March 5, 2013 at 3:39 PM

Let's just impose a toll and let millionaires and billionaires read for free, in "sample" or "circulation" copies sent gratis.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on March 5, 2013 at 3:55 PM

At least Atlantic publishers don't invite writers onto the casting room couch to see if they really want to "get published". They don't right?

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on March 5, 2013 at 3:59 PM

As a freelancer, my answer to this is always HAHAHAHA!

Posted by sirkowski

on March 5, 2013 at 4:06 PM

I once had an editor who offered me that "for exposure" pay and I replied, "It's winter, and you can die from exposure."

Ya know who was getting paid? Those editors, that's who.

And the publisher, and the printer, and the people who supplied the paper, and the landlord of the building, and the people who watered the publisher's plants.

Of the dozens employed by the Atlantic, none would work for a day for the "exposure" -- nor would they be expected to.

The Atlantic is media, media is communication, and it's communication is through the writing.

Which is what the Atlantic is selling to readers: the writing.

It's odd (no, it's disgusting) that The Atlantic would refuse to pay those who create the product they're selling.

But then again, the pimps always want to keep all the cash, don't they?

Posted by judybrowni on March 5, 2013 at 4:45 PM

This is rich, coming from the newspaper that has all kinds of scut work performed by unpaid interns:

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/jobs/…

Oh, but it's great "exposure," right???

Posted by bigyaz on March 5, 2013 at 5:51 PM