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NUJ Rate for the Job:
Shifts / news
Updated: 2025-07-09
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.
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Writing and editing work for national newspapers, paid by the day or the hour. Mostly sub-editing: checking and proofreading copy and making it fit the house style and design. (Actual publication/programme names appear before publishers and generic rates. See also regional newspapers. If you are interested, the archived rates are here. | ||||||
Tell us what you've been paid for Shifts / news |
Freelance Fees Guide
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| Publication / Programme - details & terms | Group | Year |  |
Total paid | GR |
XXXX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Express subbing day | _MGN | 2021 |  |
147.00 | X | |
| Daily Mail six-hour news subbing day | _Assoc | 2024 | |
160.00 | ||
| Daily Mail subbing day, 6 hours | _Assoc | 2024 | |
160.00 | X | |
| Daily Mail one day news reporting shift | _Assoc | 2023 | |
195.00 | ||
| Daily Mail fixer in an interesting country for press freedom - per week, we presume - | _Assoc | 2019 | |
350.00 | ||
| Daily Mail Picture editing day | _Assoc | 2018 | |
180.00 | GR | |
| Daily Mail reporting day on diary column taxed at source | _Assoc | 2017 | |
150.00 | XX | |
| Daily Mail picture editing day self-billing and PAYE | _Assoc | 2016 | |
150.00 | GR | |
| Daily Mail 6-hour subbing day | _Assoc | 2015 | |
130.00 | X | |
| Daily Mail subbing day (6 hours) | _Assoc | 2014 | |
130.00 | XX | |
| Daily Mail subbing day (6 hours) | _Assoc | 2014 | |
130.00 | XX | |
| Daily Mail online reporting day: all expenses for out of town jobs paid including subsistence and travel | _Assoc | 2014 | |
400.00 | GR | |
| Daily Mail online reporting day: all expenses for out of town jobs paid including subsistence and travel | _Assoc | 2014 | |
400.00 | GR | |
| Daily Mirror Subbing day (7 hours) | _TMG | 2018 | |
168.00 | GR | |
| Daily Mirror 9am to 5pm Sunday reporting day | _TMG | 2015 | |
185.00 | GR | |
| Daily Star subbing day (10am to 6pm weekday / 9am to 5pm weekend) | _NS | 2015 | |
118.00 | GR | XXX |
| Daily Star online online reporting day - sourcing, writing and publishing stories and photos; typical 9am to 5pm weekend shift but staffer shifts are rota'd 7am to 3pm or 3pm to 11pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm or 3pm to 11pm at weekends | _NS | 2015 | |
118.00 | GR | XXX |
| Daily Telegraph Picture editing day | _BarcB | 2018 | |
150.00 | GR | |
| Evening Standard picture editing day | _Lebedev | 2019 | |
180.00 | ||
| Evening Standard sports subbing day 7am to 4pm (one hour for lunch) - | _Lebedev | 2018 | |
130.00 | GR | |
| Evening Standard video editing shift | _Lebedev | 2017 | |
90.00 | GR | XXXX |
| Evening Standard Video editing day - 9 hours, 10:30am-19:30pm | _Lebedev | 2017 | |
90.00 | GR | XXX |
| Evening Standard magazine picture editing day | _Lebedev | 2019 | |
180.00 | ||
| Express.co.uk full-time work (40 hours pw) but as a casual, per day | _MGN | 2022 | |
106.00 | XXX | |
| Financial News editing financial newspaper , day | _NI | 2024 | |
220.00 | XX | |
| Financial News subbing 16 to 20 pages for a weekly paper, Wed to Fri | _NI | 2021 | |
220.00 | ||
| Financial Times subbing day | 2019 | |
160.00 | HA | ||
| Financial Times Picture editing day | 2018 | |
139.00 | GR | XX | |
| Financial Times subbing day, 11am-7pm | _Nikkei | 2016 | |
155.00 | ||
| Financial Times 7-hour subbing day | _Nikkei | 2015 | |
160.00 | O | |
| Financial Times 8-hour subbing day | _Nikkei | 2015 | |
130.00 | X | |
| Financial Times (Sifted newsletter) subbing day (cover - rate stated in ad) | _Nikkei | 2023 | |
180.00 | X | |
| Gizmodo reporting day (offer refused) | _Future | 2017 | |
80.00 | XXX | |
| Guardian camera operator / editor / producer day | _GMG | 2025 | |
230.00 | HA | |
| Guardian multimedia journalist day | _GMG | 2025 | |
190.00 | HA | |
| Guardian video or sound researcher | _GMG | 2025 | |
130.00 | HA | X |
| Guardian reporting day by a regional agency - rate specified in document dated 13/12/2011 and still referenced online | _GMG | 2024 | |
150.00 | XX | |
| Guardian subbing day , terms - includes paid time off compensation | _GMG | 2023 | |
233.94 | ||
| Guardian eight-hour news shift | _GMG | 2023 | |
210.00 | ||
| Guardian reporting day,expenses up to £25 taxi to your home address | _GMG | 2019 | |
194.00 | ||
| Guardian Picture editing day | _GMG | 2018 | |
160.00 | GR | |
| Guardian casual shift (subbing?) | _GMG | 2016 | |
120.00 | X | |
| Guardian subbing day (7h) | _GMG | 2015 | |
185.00 | ||
| Guardian i-Pad desk | _GMG | 2014 | |
100.00 | ||
| Guardian i-Pad desk | _GMG | 2014 | |
100.00 | ||
| Guardian Labs (advertorial) Picture editing day up to | _GMG | 2018 | |
210.00 | GR | |
| Guardian online Online batch tagging day - 7 hours | _GMG | 2014 | |
100.00 | XXX | |
| i newspaper eight-hour news shift | _Assoc | 2023 | |
180.00 | ||
| i newspaper day shift - nine hours inc. one hour unpaid lunch (previously was 8 hours for print shifts with paid lunch, nine for digital with unpaid lunch) | _Assoc | 2022 | |
153.00 | GR | |
| i newspaper Picture editing day | _Johnsto | 2018 | |
150.00 | GR | |
| i newspaper Subbing shift 14.15 to 21.30 | _Johnsto | 2017 | |
140.00 | GR | |
| i newspaper editing day - 8 hours | _Johnsto | 2016 | |
150.00 | ||
| i paper news subbing day - 7 hours 15 minutes with 25 minute break | _Assoc | 2024 | |
154.00 | ||
| i paper editing, writing and reporting business news - filling four pages from scratch | _Assoc | 2024 | |
153.00 | XXX | |
| i paper news writing day | 2023 | |
153.00 | GR | X | |
| i paper news reporting day | _Assoc | 2020 | |
153.00 | GR | |
| i paper reporting day (via #FreelancerPayGap) | _Assoc | 2020 | |
150.00 | ||
| Independent news desk shift, 8 hrs plus 1 hr unpaid lunch , terms - taxed at source | _Lebedev | 2025 | |
120.00 | XXX | |
| Independent subbing day | _Lebedev | 2021 | |
140.00 | GR | XX |
| Independent editing shift - unpaid trial offered and rejected (via #FreelancerPayGap) | _Lebedev | 2020 | |
0.00 | XXXXX | |
| Independent Lifestyle shift | _INM | 2020 | |
100.00 | GR | XX |
| Independent Picture editing day | _Lebedev | 2018 | |
150.00 | GR | |
| Independent online reporting day | _Lebedev | 2015 | |
85.00 | XXXX | |
| International Business Times (IBT media) news day | 2016 | |
150.00 | |||
| International Business Times IBtimes.co.uk subbing day - 7 hrs | 2014 | |
120.00 | X | ||
| International Business Times IBtimes.co.uk subbing day - 7 hrs | 2014 | |
120.00 | X | ||
| Investors Chronicle 7-hour subbing day | _Nikkei | 2015 | |
160.00 | ||
| Irish Post (Loot Ltd) subbing day, 9 hours Monday, gross rate | 2014 | |
135.00 | GR | ||
| Irish Post (Loot Ltd) subbing day, 8 hours Tuesday to Friday, gross rate | _VNU | 2014 | |
120.00 | GR | XX |
| Mail On Sunday YOU magazine reporting day, around 4 pieces (via #FreelancerPayGap) | _Assoc | 2020 | |
150.00 | XX | |
| Mail on Sunday unspecified day (writing? editing?) | _Assoc | 2019 | |
150.00 | X | |
| Mail on Sunday reporting day | _Assoc | 2014 | |
100.00 | XX^7 | |
| Mail Online reporting day, 8 hours (via #FreelancerPayGap) | _Assoc | 2020 | |
140.00 | XX | |
| Mail Online subbing/writing day 8 hours | _Assoc | 2017 | |
120.00 | GR | XXX |
| Mail Online subbing day, 9 hours, including night shifts | _Assoc | 2015 | |
100.00 | GR | XXXX |
| Metro.co.uk reporting day (via #FreelancerPayGap) | _Assoc | 2020 | |
100.00 | XX | |
| metro.co.uk Lifestyle reporting day, 9 hour shift, one hour lunch | _Metro | 2017 | |
100.00 | GR | XXX |
| Metro subbing day (9 hours with one-hour lunch) | _Assoc | 2017 | |
100.00 | XXXX | |
| Metro subbing day (9 hours with one-hour lunch) | _Assoc | 2017 | |
100.00 | XXXX | |
| Mirror subbing day, 7 hours Monday to Friday, gross rate (but pay taxed at source) | _TMG | 2014 | |
157.27 | GR | |
| Mirror subbing day, 7 hours Sunday, gross rate (but pay taxed at source) | _TMG | 2014 | |
188.68 | GR | |
| Mirror online subbing day, 8 hours - worrying! taxed at source | _TMG | 2015 | |
100.00 | GR | XXXX |
| Observer magazine subbing day (7 hrs) taxed at source | _GMG | 2017 | |
190.00 | ||
| Observer subbing shift 8 hours weekday | 2025 | |
221.00 | |||
| Observer subbing shift 8 hours weekend | 2025 | |
247.00 | |||
| Observer subbing shift 8 hours £200 weekdays; £220 Saturdays - taxed at source | _GMG | 2022 | |
200.00 | HA | |
| Sun reporting day, 8 hrs including 1 hr lunch break , terms - no expenses paid, taxed at source | _NI | 2023 | |
120.00 | XXXX | |
| Sun Snapchat day shift (copy for 6ish slides) (via #FreelancerPayGap) | _NI | 2020 | |
120.00 | GR | XX |
| Sun Video day shift (8 hours) (via #FreelancerPayGap) | _NI | 2020 | |
180.00 | ||
| Sun reporting day - approx 8 stories (via #FreelancerPayGap) | _NI | 2020 | |
120.00 | GR | XXXX |
| Sun reporting day (via #FreelancerPayGap) | _NI | 2020 | |
120.00 | XXXX | |
| Sun 9-hour reporting shift (offer refused) | _NI | 2019 | |
150.00 | XX | |
| Sun reporting day (9 hours) on consumer finance desk | _NI | 2019 | |
120.00 | XXXX | |
| Sun subbing day not taxed at source | _NI | 2017 | |
165.00 | ||
| Sun subbing day - 8 hours per night | _NI | 2016 | |
120.00 | XXX | |
| Sun six-hour news feature subbing shift | _NI | 2014 | |
155.70 | O | |
| Sun online political reporting day, 8 to 9 hours | _NI | 2020 | |
120.00 | XXXX | |
| Sunday Times picture editing day | _NI | 2019 | |
150.00 | X | |
| Sunday Times subbing day | _NI | 2019 | |
176.96 | GR | O |
| Sunday Times picture editing day | _NI | 2019 | |
150.00 | X | |
| Sunday Times Picture editing day | _NI | 2018 | |
150.00 | GR | |
| Sunday Times Subbing day (7 hours) | _NI | 2018 | |
176.40 | GR | |
| Sunday Times 5pm to 2am night reporting shift , prod/exes 20 £20 taxi allowance bumps claimed shift rate up to... £200 | _NI | 2015 | |
180.00 | GR | O |
| Sunday Times subbing day "but they are paying new staff less" | _NI | 2014 | |
176.93 | ||
| Sunday Times subbing day "but they are paying new staff less" | _NI | 2014 | |
176.93 | ||
| Telegraph website editing day | _BarcB | 2020 | |
150.00 | GR | X |
| Telegraph subbing day, 8 hours | _BarcB | 2017 | |
150.00 | X | |
| Telegraph subbing day (8h) | _BarcB | 2015 | |
135.00 | ||
| Telegraph supplements subbing day (7hrs) paid time off on top | _BarcB | 2017 | |
150.00 | ||
| The Independent website news shift | _INM | 2016 | |
150.00 | ||
| The Independent website news day | _INM | 2016 | |
95.00 | XXX | |
| The Mirror - special projects subbing, writing day | 2016 | |
165.00 | O | ||
| The Times subbing day | _NI | 2015 | |
150.00 | ||
| The Times & Sunday Times sports desks subbing day, 8 hours with break | _NI | 2021 | |
155.98 | ||
| Times news editing shift - after some wrangling | _NI | 2024 | |
195.00 | ||
| Times reporting day | _NI | 2024 | |
144.50 | X | |
| Times graphic artist day - 8 hours | _NI | 2024 | |
160.00 | X | |
| Times video day shift (8 hours) (via #FreelancerPayGap) | _NI | 2020 | |
200.00 | ||
| Times Picture editing day | _NI | 2018 | |
145.00 | GR | X |
| Times subbing day - | _NI | 2018 | |
156.00 | ||
| Times subbing day | _NI | 2014 | |
175.00 | ||
| Times subbing day | _NI | 2014 | |
175.00 | ||
| Times and Sunday Times news subbing shift, print and digital - flat rate for all shifts regardless of week/weekend or 9-5 or antisocial times - eight-hour shift, with holiday paid separately and automatically at £7.23 per shift extra | _NI | 2025 | |
166.00 | ||
| Times and Sunday Times 8-hour subbing day | _NI | 2023 | |
166.00 | ||
| Times and Sunday Times news subbing shift, print and digital - since the titles merged in January 2022 there is a flat rate on both and on both print and digital (the ST shift rate reduced on merger to match lower rate at the Times). Eight-hour shift | _NI | 2022 | |
156.00 | GR | |
| AP Video 11-hour video editing day | _AP | 2019 | |
250.00 | ||
| Associated Press long production day - 11 hours | _AP | 2015 | |
242.00 | ||
| BBC news desk shift 9 hours | _BBC | 2024 | |
193.00 | ||
| BBC news desk shift 10.5 hour shift | _BBC | 2024 | |
240.00 | ||
| BBC Five Live "phone hit" | _BBC | 2016 | |
150.00 | ||
| BBC News Picture editing day | _BBC | 2018 | |
165.00 | GR | |
| BBC News website reporting day | _BBC | 2016 | |
192.00 | X | |
| BBC News website subbing or reporting day (10 hours) | _BBC | 2016 | |
204.00 | X | |
| BBC News website reporting day | _BBC | 2016 | |
192.00 | X | |
| BBC Sunday Morning (Andrew Marr Show) social media producer (Twitter/BBC Politics website) - as long as it takes | _BBC | 2022 | |
190.00 | GR | |
| Bureau Local (Bureau of Investigative Journalism) court data collection/reporting day - Mileage at £0.45 per mile and car parking paid up to £15/day | 2021 | |
120.00 | |||
| DW.com data journalist day | 2019 |  |
330.00 | |||
| France 24 channel "skype hit" | 2016 | |
100.00 | |||
| Greenways Publishing subbing day across sports papers | 2019 | |
80.00 | XX | ||
| ITV archive and picture research day , terms - depending on the shift, from £140 to | _ITV | 2018 | |
250.00 | GR | |
| ITV News digital shift (11 hours) (via #FreelancerPayGap) | 2020 | |
150.00 | XXX | ||
| MSN news (online) 8-hour subbing day | 2015 | |
170.00 | |||
| NBC News Digital on Twitter seeks homepage, app and social editor - full-time freelance - per year up to | 2023 | |
50000.00 | |||
| News UK Bridge Studio (advertorial / branded content) Subbing day (7 hours) | _NI | 2018 | |
179.00 | GR | |
| Newsflare weekend editor day | 2020 | |
150.00 | |||
| Radio 2 website subbing day, 7 hours | _BBC | 2016 | |
40.00 | XXXX | |
| Time Inc 7-hour subbing day | _AOLTW | 2015 | |
130.00 | ||
| Time Inc 7-hour subbing day | _AOLTW | 2015 | |
100.00 | XXX | |
| Undisclosed client Data Journalist - day | _TMG | 2014 | |
275.00 | O | |
| Undisclosed client Data Journalist - day | _TMG | 2014 | |
275.00 | O | |
| 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 or or (US)  | |
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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 |
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| or Just sometimes we're pleasantly surprised: | | 1500.00 | O |
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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 |
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