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Flood of outrage at wages survey report

Our story on wage levels in journalism yesterday caused a stir – with a flood of outrage aimed at the PFJ survey that the figures came from.

The recruitment company’s survey showed online journalists making up to £10,000 more per year than their print-based colleagues.

And it placed emphasis on experience boosting wages, its findings revealing that after ten years in the business, a local newspaper journalist could expect to earn £40,000, while their counterparts in business-to-business publications can be on £50,000, while consumer and online writers expect £60,000.

  • PFJ’s results
  • Unsurprisingly, our in-box was bulging. And a clutch of comments has also been posted to our HTFP Facebook group.

    Here is a selection of some of the comments from readers:

    Steve Pope, senior photographer, Herald Express: “I sometimes question the sanity of such surveys that seem to pull figures out of the hat.

    “The quote ‘a local newspaper journalist could expect to earn £40,000′ would have most of my colleagues (and me) in the beleagured south west jumping ship big time if that was achievable after ten years-plus service.

    “I’m assuming that £40k is a national average worked out by PFJ. In that case it’s depressing news for those of us west of London and south of Bristol where a truer figure is probably less than half of that.

    “Still hats off to PFJ for getting one fact right ‘the general opinion was that local press employees are overworked and underpaid’ not exactly an exclusive though. We’ve known this for years.”

    Liz Payne, special projects editor, Lancashire Evening Post: “What a load of crap! No journalists I know are earning that kind of money – who took part in the survey? Editors?

    “It only reinforces the commonly held belief that journalists are high earners rather than the truth that we are one of the lowest paid professions.”

    Barbara Argument, Evening Gazette: “What absolute rubbish those salary scales are!

    “As a journalists’ website you should know that.

    “Experience doesn’t count these days, so ten years or whatever is irrelevant.

    “I’m an award-winning journalist with decades of experience on big regional newspapers – and my pay is pitched according to that survey, at the level of 2-5 years.

    “This sort of bad reporting does hard-working regional journos and our industry no favours. Get real! Journalists are paid peanuts.”

    Pam Thomas: “It is particularly unfair on young journalists for PFJ to bandy these figures about, when anyone who has worked in the provincial press knows pay rates are far, far lower than this – at every level of experience quoted.”

    Craig McGinty, Manchester: “I do think we have to be careful with reports like this, remember PFJ are a media recruitment consultant and are keen to get new people signed up.”

    Tracey Sparling, Ipswich Star: “Where on earth did PFJ hear that local print journos earn £40,000 a year after ten years – try halving that for a true figure!

    “There is also no increase available for web work, as they suggest there is.”

    James Turner: “Do these PFJ people provide any examples of a regional newspaper paying anyone £40,000 a year? This is not the world as I know it…

    “After 38 years as a senior I got to the dizzy heights of £21,500 as a chief reporter with Newsquest.”

    Louise Bolotin, Manchester: “Salaries here are a joke. I returned to the UK three years ago and enquired about subbing work at my local weekly.

    “I was shocked that the starting salary was £16k pa. I had been earning around £25k as a sub-editor in London 12 years earlier, before I went abroad – which suggests salaries have actually fallen sharply over a period.

    “By the way, I’m freelance now. I can’t afford to be a staffer.”

    Name supplied, from a Northcliffe base: “I think those figures are completely untrue! Where do they get their facts from?

    “The online people here have always been paid much less than trainee journos or on a par – and certainly never more. I have been doing this job for over seven years now – I wish I could say I was on 45k!”

    Anne Perks, Salisbury Journal: “We in the newsroom at the Salisbury Journal are curious to learn which regional journalists earn £40,000 after ten years’ experience.

    “Is it ourselves or yourselves who are on a different planet?”

    Scott Inglis, Edinburgh: “Wages for journalists these days are an absolute scandal.

    “For the work and the hours that we do we are grossly underpaid.

    “I’ve been working as a journalist for one year and I’m currently paid £16.500 a year.

    “It’s not enough to secure a decent mortgage and to be able to live comfortably.

    “eBay has become my second friend, and at 27 years old I’m having to live with parents hoping I can someday get up to 19-20k a year which, while by no means is a colossal wage, should see me able to leave home.”

    You can read the PFJ survey at their website here, where there’s also a useful link to find out how to negotiate a pay rise.

  • What do YOU think about these figures?
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