I'm accustomed to getting it for free ...

Let's say your paper is handling a game assignment and another paper calls looking for a photo from that game.

Assuming you're using a staff shooter, will your paper typically send the photo as a courtesy – on the theory that next time, you may need some help – or do have have a fixed charge?

Let me say, in my most recent 5 or 6 years of daily desking, it seems like most papers will send a couple of photos for free, but I'm curious if tightening budgets are changing that scenario.

 

We send it for free, on the theory that what goes around comes around.

 

Good karma. We do it for free.

 

I will always help. All I ask is for proper attribution and when I call, you pick up the phone.

 

I've rarely had anybody ask for anything but a credit, and those that have, I almost universally have said, "thanks but no thanks, and please keep this conversation in mind if you ever need anything from us."

 

Ask for proper credit, and with the understanding that they'll owe you a favor should you ever need one.

 

We send photos free to other papers, because we may need one from them sometime.

 

Agreed.

 

Well, there's a paper today I was dealing with that didn't feel that way.

They were basically trying to pay for their own assignment on my back.

They were staffing a game tonight and wanted $75 per photo ... again, for something they were shooting to begin with.

I politely declined.

Is it worth pushing a post-mortem complaint up the line or should I just drop it?

 

They seriously wanted to charge $75? That is ludicrous.

 

No ... $75 per. I was looking for a couple of photos if I could get them, so we're talking $150.

That's a decent day rate out in the sticks.

 

I hear ya.