She Quits Huffington Post, and Gets Mocked for It
Sometimes the comments on a blog are far more entertaining than the blog itself. I followed a link on Poynter.org that was a story by Mayhill Fowler on why she just ‘quit’ blogging for Huffington Post, after her request to be paid $2500 per month was politely rebuffed. Fowler was especially upset when the HuffPost hired former Newsweek writer Howard Fineman for six figures a year. They now have 3000 bloggers who make zero.
Here’s what the comments say…
Stu, on September 27th, 2010 at 11:10 am Said:
A question: How can you quit if you’ve never been paid?
Stephanie, on September 27th, 2010 at 11:18 am Said:
Explain to me how this post is going to get you a paying “journalist” job. My advice is that you take this down and put your energy into updating your resume. You sound still sound clueless plus now you can add unprofessional.
“I wanted $2500 a month, with the understanding that after six months we would review whether or not we would go forward, and with the commitment on my part to train a younger person to take my place down the road.”
You would train someone to be what? A journalist? A citizen journalist? Or a self-deluded, would-be writer whose work cries out for an editor? (Sorry but you have really asked for it!)
Gilson Conover, on September 27th, 2010 at 12:00 pm Said:
Yeah, this is really stupid. Who works without getting paid? Technically, I don’t think that’s “working” but volunteering. And who volunteers for a millionaire media so-and-so? How can you quit a job no one ever hired you for? Why are you wasting more of your time writing all this self-deluded arble-garble and not getting paid for it? Clean your tub, read a book… do something useful! I’ve heard of writers being tortured souls but you’re really taking this to a whole new level.
darcy, on September 27th, 2010 at 12:26 pm Said:
Zero sympathy. You helped create the problem that you later felt a victim of. As others also have said in these comments, you and all the people who work for free devalue writing and reporting and make it more difficult for anyone to be able to get paid for his or her work. It only just occurred to you that people who can get stuff for free are going to continue doing so?
September 27, 2010 @ 11:11 pm
Yeah, having been recently turned down by the two dominant newspapers in the area for a paying job (although they both said they would LOVE to have me volunteer/donate timely material–especially since I routinely scoop them) I can certainly relate.
Problem is there will ALWAYS be somebody who will do for free what you want to get paid for. And one of the oldest sayings in the book is “You get what you pay for.”
The cheap bastards will either figure it out (eventually) or go the way of the Dinosaurs. And time is quickly running out.
September 27, 2010 @ 11:57 pm
Yeah I suppose. But every time I hit the publish button on blogger (about six times per week) I’m a “publisher.” Silly thing is I give it away to anybody who wants to look –and leave annoying Comments– or any media outlet that wants to link.
One of those newspapers I mentioned linked to my blog twice in 24 hours on their main home page; so why should they pay me when I’m not going to suit them for that?
Although a tad ironic, since the newsprint industry complains most vociferously about citizen journalists stealing their work.
September 27, 2010 @ 11:33 pm
The secret is to become a publisher. Then you can monetize all of your content and links will be the currency of the realm, along with the money you make from Google ad sense, ad networks and affiliate programs!
September 28, 2010 @ 5:55 pm
“I have this last year gone out and done actual reportage. I’m no longer going to do that for free. I’ve paid my dues in the citizen journalism department; I’m a journalist now.” – MF
… I don’t even know where to start.