NUJ Rate for the Job:
Shifts / regional

Updated: 20 December 2017

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" 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.

Shifts / regional Writing and editing work for regional 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. The 'extras' column is irrelevant for subbing shifts.) See also national papers.
Tell us what you've been paid for Shifts / regional		Freelance Fees Guide
Publication / Programme - details & terms	Group	Year		Basic fee	Extras	GR	XXXX
Basildon Evening Echo 7.5hrs subbing	_NQ	2002		80			X
Belfast Telegraph subbing/ reporting shift	_INM	2001		63
Belfast Telegraph sub shift	_INM	2001		63		GR	X
Castleford and Pontefract Express reporting day	_Johnsto	2013		55			XXXX
Chichester Observer per hour - isn't this illegal?	_Johnsto	2005		3.58			XXXX
City A.M. subbing day		2008		140		GR
Derby Telegraph Subbing day, 7.5hrs	_LocalW	2016		100		GR
East Anglian Daily Times	_ECN	2003		85
East Anglian Daily Times subbing day (7hrs)	_ECN	2002		85
East London Advertiser subbing day	_ECN	2008		100			XXX
Enfield Advertiser	_SouthN	2001		100
Enfield Gazette reporting day	_Tindle	2016		110
Enfield Gazette subbing day	_TMG	2002		120			X
Enfield Gazette subbing day	_TMG	2002		100			XX
Enfield Gazette		1999		90	-
Evening Standard editing day	_Lebedev	2013		160		GR
Falkirk Herald reporting day: 8hrs with 30min lunch no expenses paid, not taxed at source	_Johnsto	2013		81			XXX
Greenwich Times subbing half-day		1996		60	-
Irish News 6.5 hour subbing shift	_Inews	2007		75		GR
Lancaster Evening Post eight hour subbing shift	_RIM	2002		78		GR
Manchester Evening News subbing day	_GMG	2004		93.42		GR
News + Star / Cumberland News, Carlisle 7.5 hour subbing day	_Cumbria	2007		80			X
Northampton Chronicle & Echo news reporting day	_Johnsto	2010		110			X
Oldham Advertiser (local free paper) subbing per day	_GMG	2001		80
Oxford Times writing day	_NQ	2010		100			XX
Sheffield Star picture research / desk shift	_Johnsto	2006		65			X
Shropshire Star subbing or reporting day	_MNA	2011		85			X
Solihull News subbing day, 7 hours	_TMG	2013		100		GR	X
South London Press reporting day no expenses	_Tindle	2015		100		GR	X
South London Press layout, subbing and reporting day	_Tindle	2012		100			X
Southern Echo subbing day: princely 10% raise on 1989 rate and no extra for nights, Sundays or public holidays	_NQ	2001		55			XX
Stratford Herald legal column, per day		2004		75			X
Sunday Life (Belfast) sub shift	_INM	2001		63		GR	X
The Clare People reporting per day	_INM	2008		100
The Scotsman subbing day	_Johnsto	2013		95		GR	XX
The Wharf subbing shift 11-7pm still waiting end of Sept for work done in July	_TMG	2004		130
The Wharf day subbing 10-6 work done early June & yet to be paid in November	_TMG	2002		60			XX
Times Education Supplement Cymru (Wales) Reporting day no extra for Web use	_TSL	2008		150	0
Wakefield Express reporting day	_Johnsto	2013		55			XXXX
Wokingham Times subbing shift	_GMG	2005		100		GR	X
Yorkshire on Sunday subbing day		1993		70	-
Yorkshire Post subbing day	_Johnsto	2013		95		GR
Yorkshire Post subbing 16:30 - 00:30	_Johnsto	2002		95			X
Archant local newspaper reporting day, exes paid	_ECN	2007		85			X
Archant local papers reporting day web use included	_ECN	2008		85			XX
Archant local papers news reporting shift	_ECN	2008		85			XX
BBC news subbing day	_BBC	2013		148		GR
Bradford Telegraph and Argus reporting day (turned down!)	_NQ	2013		75			XXX
Clyde and Forth local papers in Berks/Bucks subbing day, for experienced subs	_CF	2005		100
English regional newspaper reporting day (7.5hrs approx)	_Johnsto	2013		100			XX
Guardian+Gazette series subbing day		1996		60	-
Local papers (Trinity Mirror Southern) subbing day	_TMG	2002		110
Local papers 8 hours		1998		75	-
Media Wales (formerly Western Mail and Echo) seven-and-a-half hour subbing day (hour for lunch, unpaid)	_TMG	2009		87			XX
NewsQuest reporting day	_NQ	1998		90	-		X
NewsQuest local papers subbing day - unchanged since 2000	_NQ	2005		90			X
Northcliffe local papers subbing day	_Assoc	2005		90			X
Reed Regional papers subbing day		1996		75	-
Sussex Newspapers subbing day	_Johnsto	2013		80		GR	XX
Trinity Mirror local papers subbing day	_TMG	2005		90			X
unnamed local community magazine day shift of unspecified activity		2014		100
unnamed local community magazine day shift of unspecified activity		2014		100
The above are the rates for Shifts / regional notified by members up to 20 December 2017.
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 known	Group
3 The year in which the rate was reported		Year
4 Currency: either or
5 Amount paid for basic licence - e.g. first use in print:				Basic fee
6 Paid for extra licences - web use, database resale... (no data pre Jun 2000)				...	Extras
7 "Going Rate" according to experienced NUJ members - do try to better it:				...	...	GR
or Minimum rate set out in NUJ House Agreement (more will be made soon):				...	...	HA
8 Underpaid, in the fallible opinion of the Freelance editor:				50	0		X
or Just sometimes we're pleasantly surprised:				1500	300		O

Other rates:

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