Look Who's Striking
Arianna Huffington asked me early on to write for the Huff Po. No way. I don't write for free -- especially not for somebody who lives in a massive mansion and has vast wealth. Steven Nelson writes at The Daily Caller:
Arianna Huffington is being cast by some unpaid Huffington Post contributors as an unethical robber baron. With Huffington awash in funds from AOL's $315 million purchase of the Huffington Post, contributors have called a strike to demand proper compensation....Bill Lasarow, Publisher and Co-Editor of Visual Art Source, announced that his organization is "now going on strike. For now, at least, no more content from us will appear on the Huffington Post."
Visual Art Source members have contributed content to the Huffington Post for free since 2010. Lasarow wrote that "it is unethical to expect trained and qualified professionals to contribute quality content for nothing."
How far the strike will spread is currently unclear. But Lasarow wrote that his group is calling for broad participation by Huffington Post contributors. "I am also calling upon all others now contributing free content, particularly original content to the Huffington Post to also join us in this strike," wrote Lasarow.
Lasarow wrote that his organization has two demands. The first, that the Huffington Post develop a system for paying writers and bloggers. The second, for the site to differentiate between paid promotional content and writers' work.
The group proposes a system of collective bargaining for contributors, expressing hope that they band together to "form a negotiating partnership with Huffington/AOL in order to pursue these and other important matters so as to professionalize this relationship."
Where the Daily Caller piece is wrong is that Arianna's fame came with the site. She was on TV all the time long before she started the Huff Po.
Regarding Scheer's remark, later in the piece, about the op-ed page not being a serious source of income. It especially isn't for freelancers, but I'm betting he got paid lots more money for being a regular in the pages of the LA Times.
The op-ed page at the LA Times used to pay $500 just a few years ago (if I remember correctly from when Matt Welch was there and wanted me to do a piece for him). It now pays $250. I write pieces for them pegged on rudeness and manners in hopes of selling books, and I'll use the last $250 I just got for this piece to pay for my hotel room at an ev psych conference where I'm going to learn more for my column and my next book.
yet more evidence of why you should avoid narcissistic people.
steve at March 7, 2011 8:01 AM
they feel betrayed because she sold out to The Man... and didn't bring them with her.
Rubes.
If they had half a brain, they would form their own competing website, and kick her tail... the business case for that site under AOL isn't there, because it relies on the free content...
but then they would have to compete. perish the thought.
SwissArmyD at March 7, 2011 10:36 AM
But most of the civilian bloggers at HuffPo don't get read by anyone. They don't bring in traffic, they don't break news--really, they serve no purpose.
KateC at March 7, 2011 5:08 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/03/07/look_whos_strik.html#comment-1890654">comment from KateCIt's a vanity place to post for most of them. When researchers I know tell me they're posting there, I suggest they go on Science Blogs or Psychology Today. Not good to be in there with all the woo they publish. Basically, if you'll write for free, and you aren't utterly unreadable, you can probably get published by the HuffPo.
Amy Alkon
at March 7, 2011 5:25 PM
They shouldn't sweat it. HuffPo is going to go down.
Basically AOhelL can cause any company to shed money or market share like they cut someone's jugular.
Look what happened to Netscape, Time-Warner, MapQuest, Bebo, etc.
Jim P. at March 7, 2011 7:29 PM
This happened a lot quicker than I thought. But you could see it coming a mile off.
The first, that the Huffington Post develop a system for paying writers and bloggers.
Good luck with that one. You've been suckered, learn from it.
Ltw at March 8, 2011 7:13 AM
Perhaps when HuffPo has anything worth reading it will be worth paying for. As it is now its not much more then a liberal scandal rag.
Most of the stories Ive seen there arent worth the digital paper they are written on.
The Other Mike D at March 8, 2011 8:58 AM
Ditto above poster.
Not only do I question the credibility of many of the "writers" on the HuffPo, I also question whether or not that they truly support free speech. Most recently, there was an Op-Ed piece they ran by a girl in her early to mid 20's posing as a middle-aged woman. When I commented questioning her credibility, after having tracked down her age, school & work background via her public blog, none of my comments were published by the moderators for that particular piece.
The Huffington Post is drivel & tripe.
Jen Wading at March 8, 2011 1:10 PM
I dnt even bother to comment on blogs that require moderation or apporval before posting - except for dedicated nichce blogs on thing like protitution or abortion - on niche hot button topic blogs I can understand pre screening for douchbags rather than post screening.
Even then I'll usually test post something on a thread I disagree with first just to see if it is a yes men only blog.
lujlp at March 8, 2011 2:17 PM
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