Freelance journalists are calling for improvements in how editors treat them. The non-profit organisation Women in Journalism joined forces with the UK's largest freelance journalism community, Freelancing for Journalists, and the journalist, author and advocate Anna Codrea-Rado, issuing new guidelines that challenge exploitative practices.
The recommendations call for an end to the controversial practice of kill fees, where freelancers are paid only a fraction of what they were promised if their work is not published, often due to reasons beyond their control. Freelancers are also frequently forced to wait months for payment, as many media outlets only pay after publication—leaving journalists in financial limbo. These guidelines push for a significant change: paying freelancers in full once their work is delivered, regardless of when or if it gets published.
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Donna Ferguson, an award-winning freelance journalist and Women in Journalism committee member led the effort to create these guidelines. She expressed concern over the financial strain many freelancers, especially women, face when they are left waiting or paid less than agreed. Ferguson and her colleagues want to shine a light on these issues while offering a professional standard for editors who wish to follow best practices.
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."
This article was created from a press release with initial assistance from ChatGPT. It has been edited and published by a human.
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