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Interns banned at CNHI

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by kimronspringle, Aug 28, 2008.

  1. Just got this confirmed by our publisher.

    Curious if anyone has heard of this, if any other places forbid interns and what you think about it.

    CNHI corporate attorneys have told us we are no longer allowed to use interns unless we pay them. We are supposed to pay them as close to minimum wage as we can.

    So my next question to the publisher was are we going to pay our interns (I knew the answer before I asked it, but just wanted to hear her say no — I am a glutton for punishment).

    As it was explained to me, a CNHI shop somewhere did not replace an open position, instead they just kept filling the position with interns.

    Well, somebody got wise to it and they got sued. Corporate response, no more free interns. They must be paid.
     
  2. Angola!

    Angola! Guest

    My last two papers used free interns. Granted, they weren't CNHI shops.
     
  3. PCLoadLetter

    PCLoadLetter Well-Known Member

    I'm pretty torn on this one.

    I was an unpaid intern for nine months and it was an invaluable experience. My current shop doesn't pay the interns and they get a good learning experience... and maybe 10% tops are contributing to the newsroom in a way that might be worthy of a paycheck. (One of those interns from last term wants to be a producer and he's already a better writer than most of the writers and producers in the shop. The day his internship ended he was hired as a writer.)

    On the other hand, I've worked in a shop that laid off employees and started scheduling interns to replace them. That ain't cool.
     
  4. fishwrapper

    fishwrapper Active Member

    We have to pay interns. If they're performing jobs similar to others in the newsroom, they should be paid...well, according to the state. So, that's that.
     
  5. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    Is it ironic that a company that's about this close to bankruptcy has decided it can't exploit use free help?
     
  6. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    How come they're paying the interns more than the staff?
     
  7. PeterGibbons

    PeterGibbons Member

    My paper will only use free interns if they are getting a class credit, makes total sense to be... you can only be a free intern if you are PAYING for it!

    Then after their internship we usually end up using them as stringers... paid stringers. And people wonder WHY newspapers are in trouble. Answer: look at the people running them
     
  8. you can't use "free" interns and give them a structured schedule unless they are getting class credit -- that's federal labor law right there. the law says that you can't be mandated to work from x to x unless you are getting something for it -- pay or credit.

    apparently someone at cnhi was playing fast and easy with the rules. and the corporate lawyers are now in cya mode.
     
  9. Colton

    Colton Active Member

    First I've heard of this, but that's no surprise.

    My shop is a CNHI shop and we had an unpaid on the photo side all summer.

    She just left two weeks ago to go back to school.
     
  10. lono

    lono Active Member

    Interns will be replaced with "associates" from Indonesia.

    Hello, my name is Ronnie. May I have your football score, please?
     
  11. captzulu

    captzulu Member

    Considering some of the idiots I've had the pleasure of taking call-ins from, I would not mind subjecting them to a dose of that.
     
  12. Football_Bat

    Football_Bat Well-Known Member

    I figured CNHI would've banned desks (to kneel under) before interns.

    More expense.
     
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