Trying to get publisher to pay reporters more

[Mr. X]

A reporter on the weekly newspaper I write for quit after about two weeks. She and is already gone, giving no notice.

I am about to suggest to the publisher he pay reporters more to improve the retention.

Are there any winning arguments I can make for him to increase the pay? Any pay increase would essentially come out of his pocket.

 

[dixiehack]

He'll have to put out the paper himself if everyone leaves?

 

[Mr. X]

He'll have to put out the paper himself if everyone leaves?

Everyone was that one reporter. I write a weekly sports roundup and get paid a set fee for that. He told me to email him the next one.

He -- like other publishers -- can simply take advantage of the desire of the not very talented or well trained in college to try to become reporters and pay them very little.

 

[dixiehack]

Then you don't have a wining argument. You have a need to land another job or start your own business.

 

[I Should Coco]

Not sure about your region of the country, Mr. X, but here in the Pacific NW, we now have two open reporter positions, and have been turned down by a handful of really good applicants because they couldn't afford to live here on what we pay.

Our "solution," such as it is, has been to advertise locally in the hopes of finding someone who already lives here and (1) might have been a journalist years ago, and/or (2) had a somewhat compatible career (English teacher, corporate communications, etc.) and would like to try the newspaper biz.

Significantly boosting the pay for our reporters — the most direct and necessary solution — is off the table, of course.

 

[britwrit]

Just curious. What is the salary (or hourly rate) now? What type of area is this?

 

[cjericho]

How'd that suggestion work out?

 

[I Should Coco]

To reply, without totally outing myself ...

I believe they're paying the new reporters about $15/hour ... interesting, as I'm pretty sure the people we've hired in the past couple years started around $12/hour, and I highly doubt they're getting raises to make up the difference.

For perspective, local grocery stores and fast food restaurants are offering $14 or $14.50/hour to start, because they're desperately short-staffed, too.

We're in the Pacific Northwest (away from the coast), an area that's flush with tourists in the summer (and a few skiers in the winter), and has been inundated with conservative Californians moving here for the past decade-plus. Housing prices and rents continue to spiral out of control, just like many places in the West.

A new reporter started last week (soon-to-be empty nester who used to be a teacher), and she seems like a smart person with decent writing ability, but obviously quite lacking in news judgement.

We filled the second reporter opening by getting a former employee to return (eventually, at the end of July).