[NUJ.LFB] NUJ Rate for the Job: recent rates for Words, per 1000 / news

Updated: 2025-11-18

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.

Words, per 1000 / news

Work paid by the thousand words, whose primary use is in a national newspaper. See also regional newspapers.

If you are interested, the archived rates are here.

* Tell us what you've been paid for Words, per 1000 / news * Freelance Fees Guide
Publication / Programme - details & terms Group Year currency Total paid GR
XXXX
I paper feature 2025 GBP 330.00
ASLEF Journal full page report, 750 words @ £200 = _TU 2024 GBP 267.00 GR
Business Post Connected Technology magazine 800 words @ €233.95 = _NI 2024 EUR 292.00
Daily Mail 2000 words @ £1000 , terms - all rights to Mail _Assoc 2025 GBP 500.00
Daily Mail exclusive story, 800 words @ £600 = _Assoc 2024 GBP 750.00 GR
Financial Times feature _Nikkei 2025 GBP 500.00
Guardian (£150 expenses paid) 1300 words @ £500 = _GMG 2025 GBP 385.00
Guardian _GMG 2025 GBP 370.39
Guardian asked for extra for research - denied _GMG 2025 GBP 370.39
Guardian commissioned contributions - house agreement rate _GMG 2025 GBP 370.39 HA
Guardian 700 words @ £252 = _GMG 2024 GBP 360.00
Guardian standard rate (according to a Twitter call for Observer pitches) _GMG 2024 GBP 361.00
Guardian obituary _GMG 2024 GBP 340.00
Guardian approx. 800 word news article @ £271= _GMG 2024 GBP 339.00
Guardian approx 700 words (2022) @ £244= 2024 GBP 349.00
Guardian Australia AU$ 765 per 1000 = _GMG 2025 GBP 386.00 HA
Guardian Australia (via #FairDealForFreelancers) (1000 words @ AUS $ 700) _GMG 2023 GBP 396.00 GR
Guardian Lifestyle (via #FairDealForFreelancers) 800 words @ £292 = _GMG 2023 GBP 365.00
Guardian US (via #FairDealForFreelancers) _GMG 2023 USD 440.00
Guardian USA commissioned text _GMG 2025 USD 500.00 HA
i newspaper feature - argued up from £400 after previous commission expanded from 1000 to 1500 words _Assoc 2025 GBP 450.00
i newspaper _Assoc 2025 GBP 400.00
i paper 1500 word article on Elon Musk @ £450 = , terms - FBS _Assoc 2025 GBP 300.00
Independent feature _Lebedev 2025 GBP 330.00
Independent 800 words, terms - web use only, @ £300 = _INM 2024 GBP 375.00 GR
Irish Examiner 600-word book review - FBS _ITtrust 2024 EUR 250.00 GR
Literary Hub TV review (via Freelancer Solidarity Project) 2023 USD 200.00
Mail on Sunday (via #FairDealForFreelancers) features 2000 words @ £1300 = _Assoc 2023 GBP 650.00
Mail on Sunday Books (via #FairDealForFreelancers) 300 words @ £200 = _Assoc 2023 GBP 666.67
Mail on Sunday Health (via #FairDealForFreelancers) 5000 words @ £3500 = _Assoc 2023 GBP 700.00
Mail on Sunday Money (via #FairDealForFreelancers) 1200 words @ £600 = _Assoc 2023 GBP 500.00
Mail on Sunday Money (via #FairDealForFreelancers) 1200 words @ £585 = _Assoc 2023 GBP 487.50
Mail Plus Opinion (via #FairDealForFreelancers) 800 words @ £300 = _Assoc 2023 GBP 375.00
Mirror (via #FairDealForFreelancers) features 1200 words @ £800 = _MGN 2023 GBP 666.67
New York Times arts feature (via Freelancer Solidarity Project) 2023 USD 1000.00
New York Times Opinion (via #FairDealForFreelancers) 800 words @ $391 = _NYT 2023 USD 440.00
Observer feature 2025 GBP 400.00
Observer (reported to journoresources.org.uk) 215 words on music @ £85 = 2025 GBP 393.00
Observer standard rate (according to a Twitter call for science pitches) _GMG 2024 GBP 361.00 HA
Private Eye 266 words @ £160 = 2025 GBP 600.00 O
Private Eye news short 342 words @ £150 = 2025 GBP 439.00 O
Private Eye Turds of the Week 135 words @ £90 = 2024 GBP 666.66 O
Scottish Daily Mail splash 500 words @ £350 = _Assoc 2024 GBP 700.00
Sunday Mail full page, 750-ish words @ £450 = _TMG 2024 GBP 600.00 GR
Sunday Mail Page lead 600-ish words @ £400 = _TMG 2024 GBP 667.00
Sunday Mirror 2nd rights to reprint real-life feature (via #FairDealForFreelancers) 900 words @ £500 = _MGN 2023 GBP 555.56
Sunday People Real life (via #FairDealForFreelancers) 1500 words @ £1000 = _MGN 2023 GBP 666.67
Sunday Times Ireland Climate magazine _NI 2024 EUR 250.00
Sunday Times feature _NI 2025 GBP 500.00
Sunday Times feature _NI 2025 GBP 400.00
Sunday Times investigative piece, money section, terms FBS, 800 words @ £450 = _NI 2024 GBP 562.50
Telegraph feature 2025 GBP 580.00 O
Telegraph (via #FairDealForFreelancers) features (print) 1000 words @ £400 = _BarcB 2023 GBP 400.00
Telegraph Culture (online only) (via #FairDealForFreelancers) 1300 words @ £450 = _BarcB 2023 GBP 346.15
Telegraph Global Health section up to _BarcB 2025 GBP 500.00
The Lancet World Report (via #FairDealForFreelancers) 750 words @ £550 = _RE 2023 GBP 733.33
Times advertorial feature _NI 2023 GBP 750.00 O
Washington Post foreign news (via #FairDealForFreelancers) 800 words @ $1000 = 2023 USD 1120.00
Washington Post foreign news (via #FairDealForFreelancers) 1350 words @ $1000 = 2023 USD 660.00
Washington Post foreign news (via #FairDealForFreelancers) 1400 words @ $1000 = 2023 USD 630.00
Al Jazeera reporting plus expenses 50 2023 USD 350.00
Al Jazeera online news desk 750 words all rights @ £150 = 2024 GBP 200.00
Al Jazeera online news desk 750 words all rights @ £70 = 2024 GBP 128.00
National newspaper three small (215 words) columns in a month @ £307 - not taxed at source, retain copyright 2025 GBP 476.00 HA
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism longform investigative report - 2000 words @ £1000 2024 GBP 500.00
Unite member magazines (print) reported feature 2024 GBP 300.00
 
Key to the rates, by column:
1 Publication / Programme, any details of work and licence
2 Owner at the time the rate was reported, where knownGroup
3 The year in which the rate was reportedYear
4 Currency: either GBP or EUR or (US) USDcurrency
5 Amount paid (total of basic licence and extra licences for web use, database resale...) Amount
7 "Going Rate" according to experienced NUJ members - do try to better it:  GR
or Minimum rate set out in NUJ House Agreement:  HA
8 Underpaid, in the fallible opinion of the Freelance editor:GBP50.00X
or Just sometimes we're pleasantly surprised:EUR1500.00O

Other recent 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