NUJ Rate for the Job:
Words, per 1000 / news

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.

Words, per 1000 / news Work paid by the thousand words, whose primary use is in a national newspaper. Completists may want to see the older rates for some publications listed here. See also regional newspapers.
Tell us what you've been paid for Words, per 1000 / news		Freelance Fees Guide
Publication / Programme - details & terms	Group	Year		Basic fee	Extras	GR	XXXX
Repubblica (Italy) 1500 words @ £420 for print edition only		2011		280
Al-Hayat		1995		200	-
Asharq Alawsat		1997		100	-
Berlingske (Denmark) 600 words @ €300		2017		500			O
Caribbean Times 'per article' 30 say:		1995		150	-
Chicago Tribune ($350)	_Tribune	1998		218.75	-		X
Daily Express 1200-word feature plus 200-word boxout @ £700 =	_NS	2012		500		GR	O
Daily Express leader	_NS	2003		500			X
Daily Express Features FBS	_UM	2000		650
Daily Mail online online showbiz piece: 1250 words @ £40 =	_Assoc	2015		32			XX^9
Daily Mail Online 700 words @ £300 all rights	_Assoc	2013		430	0
Daily Mail 2500 words @ £500 =	_Assoc	2016		200			XX
Daily Mail 1200 words @ £350	_Assoc	2015		292
Daily Mail 100 words @ £75	_Assoc	2015		750
Daily Mail interview	_Assoc	2014		600			O
Daily Mail background for correspondents	_Assoc	2014		400			O
Daily Mail background for correspondents	_Assoc	2014		400			O
Daily Mail health feature	_Assoc	2012		600
Daily Mail	_Assoc	2012		556
Daily Mail news page lead	_Assoc	2009		900
Daily Mirror feature FBS + web	_TMG	2013		400		GR
Daily Mirror feature 1500 - 1800 words for £1000 FBS	_TMG	2006		667
Daily Mirror	_TMG	2000		700	-
Daily Telegraph 1500-word feature @ £250 =	_BarcB	2017		166			XXX
Daily Telegraph review, 550 words @ £60 =	_BarcB	2016		109			XXX
Daily Telegraph science news (waay less than usual Telegraph rates) Web included		2014		220	0	GR	XXX
Daily Telegraph lead article, 1300 words @ £500 =	_BarcB	2014		385
Daily Telegraph lead article, 1300 words @ £500 =	_BarcB	2014		385
Daily Telegraph science news (waay less than usual Telegraph rates) Web included		2014		220	0	GR	XXX
Daily Telegraph feature	_BarcB	2013		294
Daily Telegraph	_BarcB	2012		500
Daily Telegraph	_BarcB	2011		312.50			XX
Daily Telegraph 400 words sidebar @ £140 =	_BarcB	2010		350
Daily Telegraph review 200 words @ £180	_BarcB	2007		900
Daily Telegraph feature	_Holl	2003		1000			O
De Volkskrant (English copy submitted to Dutch newspaper) terms unknown		2014		360		GR
De Volkskrant (English copy submitted to Dutch newspaper) terms unknown		2014		360		GR
De Volkskrant (English copy submitted to Dutch newspaper) , terms unknown		2014		360		GR
Ecologist feature		2017		100
El Mundo 450 words for print edition @ £45 =		2015		100			XXX
Evening Standard arts review 300-400 words @ £140 = up to	_Lebedev	2013		467
Evening Standard leader	_Assoc	2003		1053
Evening Standard (Just the Job)	_Assoc	2000		777	-		O
Evening Standard 500 words @ £150	_Lebedev	2015		300
Express FBS	_NS	2010		533		GR	O
Express online, it says FBS	_NS	2010		350		GR
Express new agreed minimum	_NS	2005		250		HA
Financial Times subbing day (7 hours)	_Nikkei	2016		155
Financial Times	_Pearson	2013		433
Financial Times	_Pearson	2012		500
Financial Times	_Pearson	2011		440
Financial Times	_Pearson	2011		286
Financial Times How to Spend It magazine feature	_Pearson	2009		450			O
Financial Times magazine	_Pearson	2010		364
Financial Times magazine , terms "all in"	_Pearson	2011		357
Guardian news story	_GMG	2017		437
Guardian online feature article with interviews and pictures sourced	_GMG	2017		310			X
Guardian 2000 word feature @ £650 =	_GMG	2017		325			X
Guardian 800 words @ £ 250 =	_GMG	2016		312.50
Guardian online news	_GMG	2015		325
Guardian all in online and print - for which agreed minimum is £310.68	_GMG	2015		215			XX
Guardian 1500-ish words @ £464	_GMG	2015		309
Guardian 1200-word international news feature says "all rights" - contrary to house agreement	_GMG	2013		310.68		GR
Guardian feature Guardian basic terms	_GMG	2013		350
Guardian feature	_GMG	2013		307			O
Guardian 630 word column for Society section @ £350	_GMG	2013		519	36.55
Guardian minimum rate in 2012 house agreement - £310.68 total (web etc uplift is 6.5%)	_GMG	2012		290.49	20.19	HA
Guardian G2	_GMG	2012		500			O
Guardian	_GMG	2012		323			O
Guardian 1400 words @ £450	_GMG	2012		321
Guardian obituary - if you're Stephen Fry - according to Private Eye	_GMG	2012		3000			O
Guardian 550 words web-only copy @ £165	_GMG	2012		300
Guardian features	_GMG	2012		300
Guardian news story	_GMG	2012		301.63
Guardian Society 700-word column @ £335	_GMG	2009		452	17
Guardian tech 800 words @ £350	_GMG	2007		413	24.50
Guardian - money section 2000-word feature @ £650 = £325	_GMG	2014		325			O
Guardian - money section 2000-word feature @ £650 = £325	_GMG	2014		325			O
Guardian Global Development Professionals Network researching and writing articles for new website all rights	_GMG	2013		290	30	GR
Guardian online social enterprise website standard Guardian freelance terms, unfortunately minimum rates paid	_GMG	2013		290	30	HA
Gunaydin (Turkey)		1995		75	-
Herald Sun (Australia)		1998		222	-
Herald (Glasgow)	_SMG	1999		150	-		X
Herald (Glasgow)	_NQ	2006		150
Huck magazine feature		2017		120			XX
i newspaper sports news story, 700 words filed about 500 used @ £130 FBS and website	_Johnsto	2017		260
i newspaper sports news preview story, about 650 words @ £110 , terms FBS and website	_Johnsto	2017		170			X
i newspaper 400-word exclusive interview with retired athlete @ £70 =	_Johnsto	2017		175	0
i newspaper feature on leading athlete 800 words @ £130 FBS =	_Johnsto	2017		162.50	0
i newspaper 600 word sports report from foreign capital @ £90 =	_Johnsto	2017		150	0
i newspaper 200 words sports news sidebar FBS @ £30	_Johnsto	2017		150	0		X
i newspaper 400 words sports news article FBS @ £80 =	_Johnsto	2017		200	0	GR
Independent on Sunday art reviewing FBS	_Lebedev	2013		350		GR
Independent on Sunday	_Lebedev	2012		200			XX
Independent on Sunday (Malta) Comment feature		2011		0			XXX
Independent 1200 words @ £200 =	_Lebedev	2018		167			X
Independent 1500 words @ £150 =	_Lebedev	2017		100			XXXX
Independent feature 1300 words @ £200 =	_Lebedev	2015		154			XX
Independent	_Lebedev	2015		200			XX
Independent interviews, sports	_Lebedev	2014		130			XX
Independent interviews, sports	_Lebedev	2014		130			XX
Independent no expenses!	_Lebedev	2014		167
Independent no expenses!	_Lebedev	2014		167
Independent offer refused	_Lebedev	2013		150			XXX
Independent obituary	_Lebedev	2013		120			XXX
Independent online comment piece	_INM	2013		0	0		XX
Independent news feature	_Lebedev	2013		240
Independent foreign feature all rights	_Lebedev	2013		150	0
Independent 550-word commissioned page lead with byline @ £ 150	_Lebedev	2013		273	0		X
Independent travel piece	_Lebedev	2012		200			X
Independent	_Lebedev	2012		200			XX
Independent feature, no expenses all rights	_INM	2012		300
Independent feature, no expenses, syndication pays 50/50	_INM	2012		150			XXX
Independent	_Lebedev	2012		200			XXX
Independent Comment	_INM	2000		333	-
Independent no expenses!	_Lebedev	2014		167
Independent magazine feature	_Lebedev	2012		200			XX
Independent MBA Supplement researching, writing plus phone calls	_Lebedev	2014		187.50
Independent MBA Supplement researching, writing plus phone calls	_Lebedev	2014		187.50
Irish Daily Mail FBS, prod/exes 50	_Assoc	2010		333
Irish Daily Mirror court reports First Irish Serial + web	_TMG	2013		100		GR	XX
Irish Examiner court reports First Irish Serial + web	_Crosbie	2013		160		GR
Irish Examiner 2200 word feature for €250 , terms first serial rights offered	_Crosbie	2009		114			XXX
Irish Independent court reports First Irish Serial + web	_INM	2013		160		GR
Irish Times 800 words @ £ 140 =	_ITtrust	2017		175
Irish Times Feature print and web	_ITtrust	2015		200	0		X
Irish Times sports feature	_ITtrust	2012		125			XXX
Irish Times magazine feature	_ITtrust	2004		437.50
Jane's	_IHS	2015		220
LA Times feature ($930)		2004		504
Lloyd's List regular column	_Informa	2007		225			X
Lloyds Register	_IHS	2012		180
Lloyds Register	_Fairpl	2012		180
Lloyds Register (40 p / mile exes)		2008		185
Los Angeles Times said to to have been the going rate for a while...	_Tribune	2015		500		GR
Los Angeles Times		2009		383			X
Los Angeles Times 1200 words for $1300 incl. web use	_Tribune	2008		555
Los Angeles Times $1000 for 1600 - what about a dollar a word?	_Tribune	2000		390	-
Los Angles Times (dollar a word)		1999		633	-
Mail on Sunday news	_Assoc	2018		400
Mail on Sunday 200 words @ £200	_Assoc	2015		1000
Mail on Sunday 350 words @ £150	_Assoc	2015		429
Mail on Sunday 1500 words @ £500 =	_Assoc	2014		333
Mail on Sunday 1500 words @ £500 =	_Assoc	2014		333
Mail on Sunday feature: 1500 words @ £500	_Assoc	2013		333			XX
Mail on Sunday page lead - investigative story , no exes	_Assoc	2013		1800			O
Mail on Sunday weekly column - if you're Piers Morgan - £350,000 a year for 1300 words a week (by our count) according to Private Eye - 'exaggerated' says the Mail	_Assoc	2012		5325			O
Mail on Sunday	_Assoc	2011		583
Mail on Sunday	_Assoc	2008		1000			O
Mail on Sunday feature	_Assoc	2007		1000			O
Mail on Sunday (Night and Day)	_Assoc	2000		800	-
Mail Weekend 800 words @ £300 =	_Assoc	2013		375			X
Metro 1200 words @ £175 =	_Assoc	2017		146			X
New York Times / International Herald Tribune article 1058 words	_NYT	2013		500			X
News of the World page lead	_NI	1996		750	-
Observer online comment piece	_GMG	2009		200
Observer	_GMG	1999		600	-		O
Private Eye report 300 words @ £150 =		2016		500
Reader's Digest tried to cut rate from £1000 to £500, demanding all rights - member got	_RD	2009		600
San Franscisco Chronicle ($200)		1998		125	-		XX
Saturday magazine celebrity column (400-650 words @ £250) FBS	_NS	2010		625		GR
Scotland on Sunday page 7 lead, 850w; initially offered £200	_Johnsto	2014		353
Scotland on Sunday page 7 lead, 850w; initially offered £200	_Johnsto	2014		353
Scotland on Sunday page 7 lead, 850w; initially offered £200	_Johnsto	2014		353
Scotsman magazine	_Johnsto	2012		400
Scotsman	_BarcB	2008		400
Scottish Sun 150 word Sports NIB @ £20 =	_Holl	2017		133
Selvedge magazine (textiles) feature	__misc	2017		50			XX
Star	_UM	2000		500	-
Sun news feature circa 1100 words	_NI	2011		1090			O
Sunday Business	_BarcB	1999		250	-
Sunday Business	_BarcB	1998		357	-
Sunday Express feature	_NS	2014		500			O
Sunday Express feature	_NS	2014		500			O
Sunday Express feature	_NS	2014		500			O
Sunday Express S Magazine; exes paid (amount not specified)	_NS	2010		417
Sunday Express feature	_NS	2009		625			O
Sunday Express book review, 600 words @ £300	_NS	2006		500
Sunday Herald 900-word foreign news piece @ £150 =	_NQ	2017		167		GR	X
Sunday Herald news feature on French election	_SMG	2012		300
Sunday Herald feature on French election	_NQ	2012		300
Sunday Herald review	_NQ	2007		350			O
Sunday Independent news piece licence not discussed	_INM	2007		1000			O
Sunday Independent (S Africa)	_INM	1998		167	-
Sunday Mirror foreign spread with pix, plus £400 exes	_TMG	2003		1000
Sunday Mirror foreign exclusive	_TMG	2003		900
Sunday Telegraph 800 words @ £200 =	_BarcB	2013		250			XX
Sunday Telegraph Travel piece, no exes	_BarcB	2013		389		GR
Sunday Telegraph	_Holl	1997		400	-
Sunday Telegraph> foreign news feature	_BarcB	2010		455
Sunday Times Scotland celeb interview	_NI	2006		200			X
Sunday Times news story	_NI	2017		1062			O
Sunday Times print and online	_NI	2016		300
Sunday Times	_NI	2012		292			O
Sunday Times front page - down page FBS	_NI	2001		1000
Sunday Times Home supplement	_NI	2013		385			X
Sunday Times magazine 3000-word feature @ £2000	_NI	2011		667
Sunday Times News Review feature / interview	_NI	2013		400
Sunday plus exes	_NI	2006		500
Ta Nea 2500 words @ EUR250, OK by Greek standards		2007		100
Telegraph magazine - money section 1500-word celeb interview @ £300 =	_BarcB	2014		200			XXX
Telegraph magazine - money section 1500-word celeb interview @ £300 =	_BarcB	2014		200			XXX
Telegraph Saturday Magazine feature FBS but with permission to syndicate at 50%		2005		400
Telegraph online opinion piece	_BarcB	2017		100		GR
Telegraph 1200 words @ £480 =		2017		400
Telegraph feature	_BarcB	2015		350
Telegraph online piece for 'Wonder Woman' - 900 words	_BarcB	2013		0	0
Telegraph set report for TV pages licensed for 90 days, syndication paid 50/50, exes paid	_BarcB	2013		300			X
Telegraph	BarcB	2012		400
Telegraph cut feature rate	_BarcB	2009		250
Telegraph 800-word features, each £400 =	_BarcB	2007		500
Telegraph Arts	BarcB	2012		250			X
Telegraph supplements subbing day (7hrs) paid time off on top	_BarcB	2017		150
Telegraph weekend Review book review - print, 500 words		2013		250	0
Telegraph interview for Stella exclusive licence for 90 days, syndication paid 50/50, exes paid	_BarcB	2013		400
The Baltic Times 600 words @ £30 =		2016		50			XXX
The Guardian 1000-word interview	_GMG	2015		300
The Herald 1500 word Weekend Magazine feature @ £200 =	_NQ	2007		133			XX
The Irish Times news story print and web	_ITtrust	2016		260			X
The Lady interview		2012		250			X
The Mirror feature	_TMG	2015		1000			O
The National (Abu Dhabi)		2009		500
The National (UAE) opinion pieces - 800 words @ £ 208 =		2016		260
The National Arab weekly column: 900 words @ £250 =		2016		278
The National, The Arab Weekly (Abu Dhabi Media) columns, 300 words @ $300 =		2015		1000
The Sunday Times (Ireland) page lead news story 2014 print and web	_NI	2016		350			X
The Tablet report		2016		200			X
Times Education Supplement 500 word column @ £200	_TSL	2014		400
Times Education Supplement 500 word column @ £200	_TSL	2014		400
Times Education Supplement 500 word column for online use @ £150	_TSL	2014		300
Times Education Supplement 500 word column for online use @ £150	_TSL	2014		300
Times Higher Education Supplement 1500 words analysis feature @ £260	_TSL	2007		173			XX
Times column: 700 words @ £500, extra for syndication	_NI	2016		714	86
Times	_NI	2012		437.50
Times	_NI	2012		467
Times (Times 2)	_NI	2009		354.17
Times FBS	_NI	2008		500		GR
Times 500-word comment piece @ £350	_NI	2008		700
Times 950 word comment @ £600	_NI	2007		630			O
Times Thunderer, 500 words @ £350	_NI	2007		700			O
Times FBS	_NI	2007		600
Times (Ireland digital edition) news story, 600 words @ €100 =	_NI	2016		167			X
Times - money section 650 words @ £300 =	_NI	2014		462			O
Times - money section 650 words @ £300 =	_NI	2014		462			O
Times supplement	_NI	2018		350
Voice	_VTA	1999		50	-		XX
Wall Street Journal Europe feature from original pitch all intergalactic rights	_NI	2013		758		GR
Wall Street Journal feature for weekly section First US Serial, 'I think'	_NI	2013		450		GR
Weekly Telegraph	_BarcB	2011		220			X
Wire feature		2017		70
You magazine (Mail on Sunday)	_Assoc	2007		500
A newspaper in Ireland feature	_ITtrust	2015		200			X
A Texas newspaper second use of piece from Sunday Mail US$175 =		2003		112
Australian newspapers reported standard rate AU$ 0.07per word see www.alliance.org.au		2009		327		GR
BBC News Online 350 word news story	_BBC	2010		100
BBC News Online 1000-word news feature inc pix	_BBC	2010		213			X
BBC News Online 800 word news feature inc pix	_BBC	2010		213	0
BBC News Online 800 word news feature inc pix	_BBC	2010		213			X
BBC online news item 800 words @ £142 =	_BBC	2016		177.50
China News Service daily photo		2012		50
Ethnic press 750 words @ £50 =		2014		67			XXX
Ethnic press 750 words @ £50 =		2014		67			XXX
Guardian Networks (IT support section) 800 words for Sustainable Business section @ £320	_GMG	2013		400
Home MCR catalogue (Greater Manchester Arts) 1500 words @ £500 =		2017		333			O
Independent and i feature for the Independent and 'i' (carried in both) first rights	_Lebedev	2013		200
IRIN News (OCHA)		2012		430
London Press Service		1995		100	-
MSN - money section (web only) feature	_Yahoo	2014		300			O
MSN - money section (web only) feature	_Yahoo	2014		300			O
NBC The Grio up to	_NBC	2012		285
News International 200 words @ £300	_NI	2015		1500
The above are the rates for Words, per 1000 / news 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

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