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My boyfriend calculated how much I made per day for a big investigative piece I have coming out and, conservatively, it's $6.95 a day. We're not through the fact check or copy edit. @savethenews @ffregister @studyhallxyz @abbyhiggins @sallyhayd @NehaWadekar @ATDLive @JacobKushner
That $6.95/day is the day rate since I signed the contract with the outlet, I spent a number of months before that applying for grants to do the reporting.
And also yes, I agreed to the rate, and yes obviously I have been doing lots of other freelance work but that doesn't make it any less stressful or shitty.
The reason people do this is because there's no other immediate option so you kind of just keep grinding as opposed to doing some strategic pivot, because they care about the stories, because the entire system if stupid + fat white men run the world so why does anyone do anything
The way people do this, barring some sort of trust fund or whatever super rich people have, is a mixture of privilege and shameless scrappiness: I have family who don't need my financial help and with a house outside a large global metropolis, I have friends with extra bedrooms
I am white and well educated so people give me the benefit of the doubt. I have an American passport and that (used to at least) mean I have a government that has my back if I am in a serious jam abroad, and I have an easy entry back to a safe country.
Because of my privilege and because I do hustle and have carved out a bit of a niche, I can pay to live my day-to-day life comfortably enough. I make a lifestyle not a living and that's a choice.
So all this to say, it's fine but you should know where your news comes from.
I will close this thread with a picture of my dog Scout, who went boating this weekend.
