4 ms·

I got down to the bit where the author tries to make it personal, then gave up. It's not about being personal or publishing private emails; it's about a respec

by mpclark 14y ago

I got down to the bit where the author tries to make it personal, then gave up. It's not about being personal or publishing private emails; it's about a respected publication approaching an established writer and asking for free product to sell on. Doesn't matter whether it was the poor dear's first fortnight in the job or if she'd been there 25 years.

jseliger 14y ago
The short version of this is, "Don't be a journalist." There are so many people who want to be journalists, or to try to be, that The Atlantic thinks they'll work for free. Evidently many of them will. Anyone reading this should know that they need to seek another profession. Interestingly enough, in 2001 I was the co-editor-and-chief of my high school newspaper and thought about going into journalism. But it was obvious to me then that the Internet was going to destroy a lot of careers in journalism. It has. The only thing I still find puzzling is that some people want to major in journalism in college, or attempt to be "freelance writers."
- pyoung 14y ago
  I disagree. Better advice would be, if you want to be a journalist, "have a solid back-up plan" or "pursue it on the side". Even before the internet, it was a tough profession to be successful in. Now it is even tougher, but there are still individuals who manage to eek out lucrative and rewarding careers. This advice applies to any profession that has significant excess supply vs demand. Athletes, photographers, artists, actors, musicians etc... Even if an individual never makes it big (and most don't) these activities can be rewarding hobbies as long as expectations are managed properly.
  - nutate 14y ago
    My Dad was a musician his entire life. He's had other side jobs, but that was always his dream and big plan. I decided to go to engineering school and do music on the side. That has been much more successful for me money wise and in a way music wise as well. I've never had to compromise my (crappy) music to make a buck.
nutate 14y ago
Being an established writer and a couple bucks will buy you a coffee. She asked, he said no, that would normally be the end of such an interaction. But he decided to publicize the fact that his writing was worth $0 and original writing would be worth $100. Quite a drop from the $350k he got paid by ABC for his pol pot interview in '87. He then sued them in 2002 for ~$20million, no idea how that case went, but I imagine not that well or else he'd probably be set. I'm that poor dear's boyfriend so I've obsessed over this odd case for a few days now. :D
- mpclark 14y ago
  Oh, I'm sorry. Please pass on my apology for the "poor dear" thing. I realise it is patronising and unnecessary.
  - nutate 14y ago
    "poor dear" isn't the worst she's been called w/r/t this bit of budgetary honesty coming to light. Nor has she read all that much of the commentary. She has read the pieces by Matt Yglesias, Ezra Klein, etc. The most recent one on Al Jazeera really pissed her off though, because that person had written for cheap or for free for the Atlantic in the past. Which seems disingenuous at best. Some of her writings for the Atlantic: http://www.theatlantic.com/sarah-kendzior/ http://www.theatlantic.com/sarah-kendzior/ Her article for Al Jazeera: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/03/201331116423560886.html http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/03/20133111642... I think Sarah is trying to make a point about wage stagnation, but it is lost in a mist of links and appeals to our better selves. If money wasn't being actively redistributed towards the super wealthy there would be more money for individuals to pay for good writing. I think we can all agree on that. But in the mean time, you take what you can get and work with what you have.

by mpclark 14y ago

jseliger 14y ago

The short version of this is, "Don't be a journalist." There are so many people who want to be journalists, or to try to be, that The Atlantic thinks they'll work for free. Evidently many of them will. Anyone reading this should know that they need to seek another profession. Interestingly enough, in 2001 I was the co-editor-and-chief of my high school newspaper and thought about going into journalism. But it was obvious to me then that the Internet was going to destroy a lot of careers in journalism. It has. The only thing I still find puzzling is that some people want to major in journalism in college, or attempt to be "freelance writers."

pyoung 14y ago
I disagree. Better advice would be, if you want to be a journalist, "have a solid back-up plan" or "pursue it on the side". Even before the internet, it was a tough profession to be successful in. Now it is even tougher, but there are still individuals who manage to eek out lucrative and rewarding careers. This advice applies to any profession that has significant excess supply vs demand. Athletes, photographers, artists, actors, musicians etc... Even if an individual never makes it big (and most don't) these activities can be rewarding hobbies as long as expectations are managed properly.
- nutate 14y ago
  My Dad was a musician his entire life. He's had other side jobs, but that was always his dream and big plan. I decided to go to engineering school and do music on the side. That has been much more successful for me money wise and in a way music wise as well. I've never had to compromise my (crappy) music to make a buck.

nutate 14y ago

Being an established writer and a couple bucks will buy you a coffee. She asked, he said no, that would normally be the end of such an interaction. But he decided to publicize the fact that his writing was worth $0 and original writing would be worth $100. Quite a drop from the $350k he got paid by ABC for his pol pot interview in '87. He then sued them in 2002 for ~$20million, no idea how that case went, but I imagine not that well or else he'd probably be set. I'm that poor dear's boyfriend so I've obsessed over this odd case for a few days now. :D

mpclark 14y ago
Oh, I'm sorry. Please pass on my apology for the "poor dear" thing. I realise it is patronising and unnecessary.
- nutate 14y ago
  "poor dear" isn't the worst she's been called w/r/t this bit of budgetary honesty coming to light. Nor has she read all that much of the commentary. She has read the pieces by Matt Yglesias, Ezra Klein, etc. The most recent one on Al Jazeera really pissed her off though, because that person had written for cheap or for free for the Atlantic in the past. Which seems disingenuous at best. Some of her writings for the Atlantic: http://www.theatlantic.com/sarah-kendzior/ http://www.theatlantic.com/sarah-kendzior/ Her article for Al Jazeera: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/03/201331116423560886.html http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/03/20133111642... I think Sarah is trying to make a point about wage stagnation, but it is lost in a mist of links and appeals to our better selves. If money wasn't being actively redistributed towards the super wealthy there would be more money for individuals to pay for good writing. I think we can all agree on that. But in the mean time, you take what you can get and work with what you have.