Journalists launch Freelance Guidance for editors to encourage best practice
Kill fees should be abolished and freelancers should not be forced to wait until after their work is published in order to get paid, according to new guidelines issued to print editors.
The guidelines, which also recommend that publishers make a commitment to regularly review freelance rates, offers best practice advice to commissioning editors about how to treat freelancers in the journalism industry.
Developed by the non-profit organisation Women in Journalism, which campaigns for equality and diversity, in conjunction with the UK's largest freelance journalism community, Freelancing for Journalists, and the journalist, author and advocate Anna Codrea-Rado, it is hoped the guidelines will lead to better working relationships between editors and freelancers.
“Many journalists, particularly women, are drawn to the flexibility and variety of freelancing only to find themselves struggling to make ends meet when, for reasons beyond their control, they are paid 50% of what they were promised for the work - known as a kill fee. Others have to wait months to get any fee at all, because their articles have not yet been published,” said award-winning freelance journalist and Women in Journalism committee member Donna Ferguson, who led efforts to create the guidelines. “It’s not right and we wanted to call it out and offer professional guidelines for editors who want to follow best practice,” she added. “We also hope it will raise awareness of these issues for freelancers.”
The new guidelines offer guidance in three key areas: payment and fees, pitching and writing, and rights. It calls for rate and fee transparency, fit-for-purpose payment processes, help with late payments, publicly available pitching guidelines, fair copyright payment licences and clear policies on bylines, safety and insurance for freelancers.
Lily Canter of Freelancing for Journalists said: "We hope that these guidelines will empower freelance journalists to challenge poor practice and negotiate fair rates and conditions. Freelancers are the backbone of the journalism industry and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, rather than bend to the whim of profit-eating media conglomerates."
Emma Wilkinson of Freelancing for Journalists said: “The routine poor payment practices we hear about from the freelance journalism community are nothing short of exploitation. Waiting months and months for payment after delivering a service simply does not happen in other industries. This really has to be a turning point for a fair deal for hard-working freelance journalists that media outlets rely so heavily on.”
Journalist, author and advocate Anna Codrea-Rado said: “Journalism’s core function is to hold power to account, yet a flawed system undervalues the freelancers who perform this essential work. Freelance journalists are the backbone of the industry, but they are often treated as second-class workers. Issues like pay-on-publication policies, kill fees, and low rates have pushed the financial strain on freelancers to a breaking point. If we want a diverse, fair, and robust press, we must start by addressing how we treat those who work in the sector. These guidelines are a positive and necessary step forward for the journalism industry.”
Journalism organisations across the industry have welcomed the guidelines as a positive step forward.
National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Freelance Organiser Andy Smith said: “If companies followed these guidelines, many of the problems freelance members bring to us at the NUJ simply wouldn’t arise. Prompt payment in full once work has been delivered, as described in a written contract agreed when the work is commissioned, should be standard.”
Jem Collins, the director of Journo Resources, one of the UK’s leading resources for journalists, said: “Journo Resources is delighted to be backing these much needed guidelines for freelance journalists. Week in, week out we hear from members who are struggling to get paid for work they’ve already completed and we know from our own data that dwindling rates simply aren’t being reviewed. There’s a huge power imbalance between freelancers and editors, where freelancers find themselves caught in a worsening landscape, but often feeling powerless to do anything about it. These guidelines can hopefully be the start of wider change and recognition for a vitally important section of the industry."
You can view the guidelines here.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Women in Journalism is a non-profit organisation that aims to help every woman journalist of every age and ethnicity fulfil their potential and thrive as journalists.
It runs skills workshops to support women with the tools and knowledge needed to maximise their careers, and offers networking and mentoring opportunities. It also amplifies and showcases the work of all kinds of women in journalism and campaigns to remove barriers to women's career progression.
Donna Ferguson runs freelance masterclasses for Women in Journalism and champions the cause of freelancers in the organisation.
Freelancing for Journalists is a community for freelance journalists in the UK, and overseas. It aims to support journalists to create and sustain successful freelance careers. It hosts a range of resources including an award-winning podcast series, 8,000-strong Facebook community, weekly newsletter, remote work experience scheme and a series of online training options.
Anna Codrea-Rado is a freelance journalist who covers business, culture and technology, with her work appearing in publications including The New York Times, Financial Times and the Guardian. She’s the author of You’re The Business, a handbook for freelancers. Anna has led grassroots campaigns advocating for the fair payment of freelance journalists. She has given evidence for the government’s Future of UK Journalism report and has supported the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society’s campaign for the UK government to appoint a freelance commissioner.