It’s always a thrill when someone asks you to be on TV. It happened to me this week It was quite a high-profile gig, and I was flattered. Until I asked how much I’d be getting paid. The answer was… nothing.
I won’t name or shame anyone here, not least because this kind of thing happens across the board. However, I turned it down on a point of principle. As a general rule, journalists and commentators should be paid for our time and expertise when appearing on TV, radio, panels and the like.
As it happens, I feel quite sorry for the producers who have to make these asks. Undoubtedly, they would like to pay guests. However, if they can’t, more of us need to say no. “Exposure” does not pay the bills.
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