Some readers may be aware of our policy not to take adverts for unpaid positions on the media job site SourceThatJob. We took this stance as our audience felt such things were unacceptable exploitation.
Well, this issue seems to crop up every now and then, not only in journalism but PR too. A journalist told me recently of his discomfort when he discovered the PR person who was serving him expensive drinks at a press party was working for free (no expenses, nothing), and had been doing so for some time.
We have had to refuse a handful of unpaid positions on SourceThatJob recently, true to our policy.
One ad did not say the job was unpaid, we found out afterwards. I won't reveal the name of the advertiser but this is what they said in an email to an applicant: "This role is currently unpaid... you will however have access to press launches, previews and all sorts of other perks."
It's pretty shameful offering access to press launches as compensation for working for free. Sadly, you can just imagine the budding journalist working for free accepting drinks from the budding PR also working for free. Double exploitation.
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