What's the Going Rate for News Copy?
Saturday November 22, 2008
Hi readers. Maybe you can help with this question. I had a fellow reader/writer ask about his local newspaper's practice of paying by the column inch, but what I was unable to dig up was an average rate or a range of pay per column inch. I've never personally written for the news market, so I'm hoping we've got some stringers out there who can give us an inside look!
Comments
I string for the Metro section of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. I report on a couple school boards and a city hall, each twice a month. I get $50 per item they publish. They’re tight for space, so they’re only interested in 2-3 paragraphs. That would average 50 cents to a dollar a word. I don’t get a byline…
It varies with market size. The original post said “local,” which could be a weekly. I won’t write for the paper in my town; it is not worth the time.
Way back in the past I worked for the Portland, OR metro paper( pay $117.50 wk) and later the local NBC-Tv station (pay $125/150 wk). Both before and after I used to sell storie to both. $20 per item was sort of standard, plus in most cases any expenses, or about 2/3rds of a days wages for a reporter. Now the Tv news people show someone’s pictures or voice from a cell phone and say, “Send us your pictures or any spot news and we will mention your name on the air,” and the paid stinging has dissapeared.
Mount St. Helens blew up in 1981. I was Emergency Services Director and was in charge. When the 25 year aniversary was coming up I queried the local (Spokane,WA) metro paper and asked if they would be interested in a recap from my perspective. They responded, “We would like to have it – would probably run it – but wouldn’t pay anything for it.” They went with a re-run of some of their 1981 stories from their morgue.