Feel free to tell me "Get a paid subscription then" – which I'm pondering – but reacting to the free newsletter I'm asking, could you do more about journalists' pay? I mean, not just news reports on nmegotiations and, sometimes, strikes, but the issue of how pay plays into the whole future of journalism ie can I make a living long-term, as in including bringing up children, on the salaries or freelance fees now available in different aspects of the biz. Clearly one of the pillars of the "Future Of Media" is the viability of professional journalism so… more! Or, indeed, "Put your money where your moputh is and buy a sub" if you're covering my theme and I'm being too mean to see it! Fraternals, Phil Sutcliffe
I think we are trying to tackle the issue of journalists' pay at a more fundamental level. ie. The only way journalists will get paid more is if we can find a way to make the business of journalism more lucrative.
Thanks for the response Dominic and… ah, right, in which case I disagree re how this works or doesn't. Of course everybody in work for private companies, staff or self-employed contractor, needs them to be successful. But a virtuous circle wherein employees/freelances make a decent/sustainable living is abhorred by capitalism like Nature abhorrs a vacuum. So - well, cf species threatened by climate change (eg humanity?) – we journos need to be provided for here and now/as pronto as possible in order to still be extant when the industry/ecosystem gets put "right". So I think your "fundamental" excludes one of the fundamentals on which your fundamental depends – no/low/diminishing profits from the business of journalism is happening widely (not universally, praise be) alongside the unfeasibly diminishing earnings of journos. That is, I'd argue the interests of the business and of the journalists are simultaneous and congruent, equally fundamental, and need simultaneous and equalish emphasis from all of us – in order that society, civilisation, democracy and so on get what they need and want within capitalism. Anything the valiant PG can do to push in that direction will be welcomes by many of your readers – and potential readers! So, as thoughout the economy, the need and want is for better and more practicable balance between what journo workers and executives/shareholders get out of the profit margins we all need and want. A few companies are run by fair-minded people who pay OK, but we all know that's not the colour of the big picture. Balance of power is required: we journo workers, staff and freelance, need information (who's making what where?) because knowledge is power, doncha know, and then we need to deploy more of that power collectively and individually (unions and professionally and negotiatorily skilled-up freelances and staff) to move further in the direction of the balance of power between them and us… which is actually capitalism's happy home, much though so many of the grosser kind view it as some kind of slum. Appreciation of all the good work you've been doing for donkey's and fraternal best too, Phil
Gotcha - well I am a huge fan of journalists being paid better, as you can imagine and maybe this is something we should pursue. Personally, I think publishers should share the revenue journalists generate with them (like a Substack model)!
Feel free to tell me "Get a paid subscription then" – which I'm pondering – but reacting to the free newsletter I'm asking, could you do more about journalists' pay? I mean, not just news reports on nmegotiations and, sometimes, strikes, but the issue of how pay plays into the whole future of journalism ie can I make a living long-term, as in including bringing up children, on the salaries or freelance fees now available in different aspects of the biz. Clearly one of the pillars of the "Future Of Media" is the viability of professional journalism so… more! Or, indeed, "Put your money where your moputh is and buy a sub" if you're covering my theme and I'm being too mean to see it! Fraternals, Phil Sutcliffe
I think we are trying to tackle the issue of journalists' pay at a more fundamental level. ie. The only way journalists will get paid more is if we can find a way to make the business of journalism more lucrative.
Thanks for the response Dominic and… ah, right, in which case I disagree re how this works or doesn't. Of course everybody in work for private companies, staff or self-employed contractor, needs them to be successful. But a virtuous circle wherein employees/freelances make a decent/sustainable living is abhorred by capitalism like Nature abhorrs a vacuum. So - well, cf species threatened by climate change (eg humanity?) – we journos need to be provided for here and now/as pronto as possible in order to still be extant when the industry/ecosystem gets put "right". So I think your "fundamental" excludes one of the fundamentals on which your fundamental depends – no/low/diminishing profits from the business of journalism is happening widely (not universally, praise be) alongside the unfeasibly diminishing earnings of journos. That is, I'd argue the interests of the business and of the journalists are simultaneous and congruent, equally fundamental, and need simultaneous and equalish emphasis from all of us – in order that society, civilisation, democracy and so on get what they need and want within capitalism. Anything the valiant PG can do to push in that direction will be welcomes by many of your readers – and potential readers! So, as thoughout the economy, the need and want is for better and more practicable balance between what journo workers and executives/shareholders get out of the profit margins we all need and want. A few companies are run by fair-minded people who pay OK, but we all know that's not the colour of the big picture. Balance of power is required: we journo workers, staff and freelance, need information (who's making what where?) because knowledge is power, doncha know, and then we need to deploy more of that power collectively and individually (unions and professionally and negotiatorily skilled-up freelances and staff) to move further in the direction of the balance of power between them and us… which is actually capitalism's happy home, much though so many of the grosser kind view it as some kind of slum. Appreciation of all the good work you've been doing for donkey's and fraternal best too, Phil
Gotcha - well I am a huge fan of journalists being paid better, as you can imagine and maybe this is something we should pursue. Personally, I think publishers should share the revenue journalists generate with them (like a Substack model)!
Aye, get in there!