NUJ Rate for the Job:
Words, other / online
Updated: 2019-01-22
These rates have been reported by members of the National Union of Journalists and others, and printed in the Freelance, newsletter of London Freelance Branch. They are sorted by publisher/publication, then by date (most recent first). TIP: Use the "Find in page" command under your browser's "Edit" or "Search" menu to be sure of finding all occurrences of a publication/publisher. AND do note the year in which the rate was reported! See also the Freelance Fees Guide, which gives general recommendations. And read the disclaimer and the key to exactly what the entries mean.
In August 2012 we moved rates for online editions of newspapers and magazines into the 'news' or 'mags' listings. | ||||||
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Publication / Programme - details & terms | Group | Year | ![]() |
Total paid | GR |
XXXX |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BMJ Learning online learning all-rights grab | 2011 | ![]() |
1500.00 | X | ||
Cycling Weekly Online Writing All rights | _AOLTW | 2015 | ![]() |
60.00 | XX | |
Debut features, 600-900 words, on topics expected to help university students or graduates, picture research expected | 2019 | ![]() |
25.00 | XXX | ||
Eurogamer online review of long computer game, unspecified length, works out at 75p an hour | 2013 | ![]() |
120.00 | XX^9 | ||
Fair Play 100-180 words NIBs | _Informa | 2005 | ![]() |
15.00 | XX | |
Forbes Travel Guide monthly retainer for 14 short stories online all rights | 2013 | ![]() |
250.00 | XX | ||
Guardian education piece online by teacher, 700 words | _GMG | 2017 | ![]() |
0.00 | GR | XXXX |
Hip Hop Connection 100-word album reviews | 2008 | ![]() |
15.00 | X | ||
Huck Magazine Feature: personal meeting in London, 4-5hr write-up | 2016 | ![]() |
90.00 | GR | ||
IRIN 400-word profile and one picture, first world electronic rights | 2019 | ![]() |
280.00 | GR | ||
Local Secrets website 600-800 word feature, plus photos | 2014 | ![]() |
15.00 | GR | XXXX | |
Local Secrets website 600-800 word feature, plus photos | 2014 | ![]() |
15.00 | GR | XXXX | |
Londonist (LDN Creative Ltd) features including research, sometimes original quotes | 2014 | ![]() |
50.00 | GR | XXX | |
New Statesman traditional blog post | _Progres | 2017 | ![]() |
50.00 | ||
Pitchfork Op-Ed with a little reporting, regardless of word count Work For Hire - US for "all rights" & worse | 2015 | ![]() |
150.00 | |||
SkyscannerS travel features approx. 2000 words | 2017 | ![]() |
200.00 | GR | ||
Telegraph comment, 500 words @ £50 = | _BarcB | 2016 | ![]() |
100.00 | XXXX | |
The Content Standard one article (no word limit) - | 2018 | ![]() |
200.00 | |||
The culture trip research, writing in to WordPress, photo gathering and crediting (time-consuming per piece!) | 2017 | ![]() |
70.00 | X | ||
The Malcontent 500-1000-word feature limited online usage only, no copyright grab | 2015 | ![]() |
300.00 | |||
The Malcontent per 500-800 word piece no rights grab, 3-6 months licence, fee negotiable from | 2015 | ![]() |
200.00 | |||
Urban Junkies around 120-250 words per piece for newsletters | 2006 | ![]() |
40.00 | GR | ||
Yahoo Live review 4-500 words all rights | _Yahoo | 2008 | ![]() |
40.00 | GR | XXXX |
Al Jazeera English online 3000 words - overwrote! | 2012 | ![]() |
212.00 | |||
Al Jazeera online Comment/feature | 2011 | ![]() |
350.00 | |||
allmusic.com album review 100 words upwards | 2009 | ![]() |
17.00 | XXX | ||
AOL UK 500 words + 10 images | _AOLTW | 2009 | ![]() |
200.00 | ||
Arts council Birmingham website 1500 words with pics licensed web only | _HMG | 2008 | ![]() |
150.00 | ||
BBC Online 500 words plus pix | _BBC | 2017 | ![]() |
250.00 | ||
BBC Travel (new) destination pieces, 450-650 words all rights, non-negotiable | _BBC | 2010 | ![]() |
220.00 | XX | |
BBC website 150-wd reviews for Collective website all rights | _BBC | 2007 | ![]() |
37.50 | ||
Buzzfeed purchase of rights to pre-existing research for article | 2015 | ![]() |
200.00 | |||
Choose.net Consumer news writing, per piece, no exes all rights | 2015 | ![]() |
30.00 | GR | XXX | |
CNET.com 5 x 500-word articles | _CBS | 2013 | ![]() |
800.00 | ||
culturenorthernireland.org 850 word feature and photos no licence mentioned | _HMG | 2006 | ![]() |
50.00 | XXXX | |
dotmusic.com 400-word gig reviews | _Yahoo | 2008 | ![]() |
40.00 | XXX | |
EasyJet website Regular 400 word city guides all rights | _Ink | 2015 | ![]() |
42.00 | GR | XXXX |
eHow.com factual researched how-to articles of approx 500 words no expenses, all rights | _Demand | 2013 | ![]() |
25.00 | GR | XXX |
ElectricNews.net (enn.ie) offered for reporting on a 5 hour long (televised) event:‹one general story and one interview - obviously member refused. GBP14 per story is not acceptable. | 2006 | ![]() |
40.00 | XXXX | ||
Engadget (tech blog) per blog post | _AOLTW | 2010 | ![]() |
15.00 | GR | |
ENN.ie (Electric News Network) feature | 2005 | ![]() |
160.00 | GR | ||
Epolitix.com attending fringe meeting and writing 300-400 word report | 2010 | ![]() |
25.00 | |||
ExaroNews.com 600 words , terms "all in" | 2011 | ![]() |
250.00 | |||
Goal.com 800 words, plus two pics from a soccer tournament in Oslo: offer declined | 2013 | ![]() |
50.00 | XX | ||
Incisive Media news reports averaging 300-350 words, regardless of time, location and research involved terms unclear | _IncisiM | 2016 | ![]() |
12.50 | GR | X |
Local Secrets website weekly article 350 words + photo | 2010 | ![]() |
25.00 | XXXX | ||
MentalHealthy.co.uk (formerly Uncovered Mag) 300-500 word stories with stock images all rights | 2012 | ![]() |
6.50 | GR | XXXX | |
msnbc.com re-writing captions text and hyperlinks for interactive newsfile, original copy 2000 words: US$1000 in Nov 2002 taxed at source; full international rights to msnbc.com | _NBC | 2005 | ![]() |
639.00 | X | |
Octopus Travel guides online 7000 to 10,000-word travel guide | 2007 | ![]() |
200.00 | XXXX | ||
Online design mag 80 to 200 words | 2006 | ![]() |
30.00 | |||
Online gift/novelty catalogue 400 product descriptions (approx 60 words each) | 2008 | ![]() |
1550.00 | |||
Online government publication short (up to 500 words) articles for financial section of government website, paid per day assuming 1.5 articles per day; copyright demanded, not taxed at source | _HMG | 2004 | ![]() |
300.00 | ||
Only Group webpages 400 word articles (minimum 100 articles/month) | other | 2008 | ![]() |
9.52 | XXXX | |
Open Democracy report/comment pieces @ 800-1500 words No expenses. Not taxed at source. | _Ocean | 2011 | ![]() |
0.00 | XXXX | |
Parallax News International news/analysis 4 articles a month for $500 online | 2016 | ![]() |
125.00 | |||
Pocket-lint.com Online features: min 500 words, typically 1000+ with 5/6 photos All rights, no expenses | 2009 | ![]() |
50.00 | GR | XXXX | |
Record Of The Day 400 words online opinion | 2010 | ![]() |
70.00 | X | ||
Rock Paper Shotgun (PC games website) review of long computer game, works out at 75p an hour | 2013 | ![]() |
100.00 | XX^9 | ||
RTE.ie/Aertel (teletext) 90 word teletext soccer report + minimum 300 word online report + phone in goals/red cards etc as they happen it appears you sign away all future rights when signing their contributor form | _RTE | 2011 | ![]() |
42.31 | GR | XXX |
Sonicboomers website website reuse of old print features, paid per piece non-exclusive, no time limit | 2008 | ![]() |
250.00 | GR | ||
Telecoms company technical author with experience of mobile services - Bradford - per hour (from contractoruk.com) | 2006 | ![]() |
35.00 | |||
Telecoms company technical author with experience of mobile services - Basingstoke - per hour (from contractoruk.com) | 2006 | ![]() |
35.00 | |||
The Vinyl Factory 1500 word interview feature | 2017 | ![]() |
150.00 | GR | ||
thenewblackmagazine.com 350 - 600 words | 2012 | ![]() |
200.00 | |||
Time Team website piece | _C4 | 2008 | ![]() |
250.00 | ||
Unique Broadcasting (as subcontractors for BBC) 300-350-word album reviews , all rights | _BBC | 2009 | ![]() |
50.00 | X | |
Unnamed client Composing and sending six Tweets while covering all-day event | 2012 | ![]() |
100.00 | O | ||
Unnamed digital magazine 4-6 pieces per month of 1000 words each, monthly rate, travel costs also paid | 2016 | ![]() |
1500.00 | |||
unnamed online title 500-700 words all rights | 2010 | ![]() |
200.00 | X | ||
Wales Tourist Board writing web content - Cardiff - per hour (from gisajob.com) | _HMG | 2006 | ![]() |
25.00 | ||
Website (unnamed) writing and editing per 300 words | 2015 | ![]() |
30.00 | |||
Wikio Experts blogging , All Rights | 2011 | ![]() |
16.00 | GR | XXXX | |
Work for "content agency" / search engine optimisation Writing 600 to 800 words and pic research and provision for "content agency" (work turned down, wouldn't negotiate) | 2016 | ![]() |
60.00 | |||
World Travel Guide (Columbus Travel Media) travel feature all rights | 2013 | ![]() |
200.00 | |||
www.e-tid.com 10 hours per week over four days reporting; writing; web editing per hour | 2013 | ![]() |
25.00 | GR | ||
www.fool.co.uk 500 word financial article. | 2003 | ![]() |
70.00 | X | ||
Yahoo singles reviews 100-150 words each, batches of 8 at a time all rights | _Yahoo | 2008 | ![]() |
10.00 | GR | XXXX |
Yahoo album review 400-500 words all rights | _Yahoo | 2008 | ![]() |
30.00 | GR | XXXX |
Key to the rates, by column: |
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1 Publication / Programme, any details of work and licence | ||||||
2 Owner at the time the rate was reported, where known | Group | |||||
3 The year in which the rate was reported | Year |
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4 Currency: either ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() |
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5 Amount paid (total of basic licence and extra licences for web use, database resale...) | Amount |
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7 "Going Rate" according to experienced NUJ members - do try to better it: | GR |
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or Minimum rate set out in NUJ House Agreement: | HA |
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8 Underpaid, in the fallible opinion of the Freelance editor: | ![]() | 50.00 | X |
|||
or Just sometimes we're pleasantly surprised: | ![]() | 1500.00 | O |
Other rates:
Type of work: | In the "sector": (click or tap below!) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Words, per 1000 | News | Local | Mag | online | Book | PR | Other |
Words, other | News | Local | Mag | online | Book | PR | Other |
Photography | News | Local | Mag | online | Book | PR | Other |
Broadcasting | News | Local | Other including podcasting | ||||
Shifts | News | Local | Mag | online | Book | PR | Other |
Other: | Cartoons | Crosswords | Illustration | Punditry | Retainer | Teaching | Tip-off | Translation | ||||||
Recently reported rates | all from the past few months |



