Extra work

How many people here have to write material for a team's program? Is it common with smaller papers?

 

I work a small shop and never had to do that. Why do you "have" to, if I may ask?

 

I don't. Other's do, though.

 

I didn't have to, but I was asked to write something summing up a team's season for an exhibition overseas, and I gladly did it.

 

you mean for free?

 

that's what I was wondering.

If they're paying you, take the money and run. Yeah, it could be perceived as a conflict of interest. And until someone pays you enough so you don't have to whore yourself out...fuck it.

 

and if they aren't paying? fuck it.

mechanics don't fix your car for free.

 

I don't understand this concept of free work. Why shouldn't the team have to pay for a copy writer for its program? Is it a throw-in in some ad deal?

 

That's crap. A quid pro quo ad deal should be worked out with your sports section. Or in the media guide, an ad for your section.
If that can't be worked out, you should be paid for your time. You guys want to know why you're paid less than virtually every working profession? Because you "gladly" ... "write something summing up a team's season for an exhibition overseas."
Goddamn it. That pisses me off.

(Mike, it's not just you. It's the whole profession. It's been going on for a while. God, it's irritating.)

 

I wrote mine on company time because it had my byline on it, complete with the paper's name. I'd probably have done it anyway because it was an opportunity I probably will never have again. But I don't work for free, for the most part.

 

I don't work for someone else for free.

I get paid crap by my job as it is.

 

We aren't allowed to.