Letter to the Editor

I'm pretty sure Time won't publish my letter, so I'll do it myself. Click the link for the story I'm commenting on.

Is a Wage a Right?

For me, Richard Zoglin's story on the Comedy Store strike of 1979 recalled not just the current Writers Guild of America labor dispute, but the wage plight of another group of writers--young journalists. Just as Mitzi Shore insisted that the exposure she was offering aspiring comedians amounted to payment, the media (as well as many other industries) offers thousands of unpaid internships as a way to pay one's dues, the argument being that this work offers invaluable experience in the field and, therefore, no other compensation is required. While many earnest young people find a way to survive this situation, whether it be living in hovels subsisting on Ramen noodles and peanut butter, working 80-hour weeks, or both, the ultimate result is that a career in journalism is feasible mainly for the most privileged classes, those who can afford to spend a college semester in a big city receiving only internship credit or those whose parents are willing and able to support them after graduation.

Though an unpaid internship is by no means the only path to a career in this field, it is certainly the fast track. Furthermore, often even paid internships and full time entry level positions offer little more than rent money; certainly not enough to splurge on a lunchtime burrito or, heaven forbid, a meal at one of the restaurants one's publication reviews. As Zoglin's article shows, the onus rests on employees to address this issue--as long as there are those willing to work for nothing for a shot at their dream, employers will offer exactly nothing. And as long as the wage for an honest day's work remains at zero, the mainstream media will continue to be the bastion of those elite few who could afford to chase their dream without earning a penny.