NUJ Rate for the Job:
Words, other / 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, other / news Work for which we have no rate-per-thousand-words, whose primary use is in a national newspaper. See also regional papers.
Tell us what you've been paid for Words, other / news		Freelance Fees Guide
Publication / Programme - details & terms	Group	Year		Basic fee	Extras	GR	XXXX
i newspaper around 500 word sports interview with major official	_Johnsto	2017		90	0	GR	XX
Aswat el Ger unspecified piece		2008		75			XX
Christian Science Monitor 900 word web piece @ $300 =		2017		333
Daily Express Scottish front page lead FBS	_NS	2004		120
Daily Express Brutus column	_UM	1999		50	-
Daily Mail news story, made around 4 pars	_Assoc	2013		125
Daily Mail	_BarcB	2011		166			XX
Daily Mail 400 words, all rights	_Assoc	2011		200
Daily Mail Diary piece, length unspecified	_Assoc	2011		100			XX
Daily Mail Real Life piece, £1000 for 1800 words FBSR	_Assoc	2010		556			O
Daily Mail page lead, sent all round (not exclusive) no terms specified	_Assoc	2009		150		GR	XX
Daily Mail feature FBS	_Assoc	2007		1800		GR
Daily Mail filler	_Assoc	1998		100	-
Daily Mail Online article, length unspecified	_Assoc	2016		350
Daily Mirror News, p9, 280 words	_TMG	2014		70
Daily Mirror words + pic	_TMG	2014		30
Daily Mirror News, p9, 280 words	_TMG	2014		70
Daily Mirror words + pic	_TMG	2014		30
Daily Mirror Ticket feature 750 - 1200 words FBS	_TMG	2006		350
Daily Mirror six-par stick	_TMG	2000		120	-
Daily Record news page lead FBS	_TMG	2004		70			X
Daily Telegraph page lead (no length)	_BarcB	2014		110			X
Daily Telegraph page lead (no length)	_BarcB	2014		110			X
Daily Telegraph revision of two existing articles on Greek islands, generation of new destinations for use in Saturday print supplement, and online in perpetuity	_BarcB	2013		2000		GR	O
Daily Telegraph 350-word website news story @ £25 =	_BarcB	2012		71			XX
Daily Telegraph international news 300 mid page or anchor and full web useor/ side bar	_BarcB	2012		60		GR	XX
Daily Telegraph international news 300 mid page or anchor and full web use	_BarcB	2012		60		GR	XXXX
Daily Telegraph 180 word news story	_BarcB	2011		35
Daily Telegraph news story, wordage unspecified	_BarcB	2010		110			X
Daily Telegraph paperback reviews, 110 words, down from £75	_BarcB	2009		40			XXX
Daily Telegraph 150-word album reviews	_BarcB	2008		75
Daily Telegraph 'a small column'	_Holl	1994		125	-
Diez Portiento (Argentina) article+photos		1998		100	-
El Mundo per online piece of any length		2015		35			XXX
ES magazine page	_Assoc	1998		450	-
ES magazine per page	_Assoc	1998		450	-
Evening Standard live concert review	_Lebedev	2010		140			X
Evening Standard comment/news piece	_EPL	2009		500
Evening Standard diary item	_Assoc	1999		40	-
Evening Standard diary item	_Assoc	1999		40	-
Evening Standard diary item	_Assoc	1997		100	-
Evening Standard whole pink page (member: 'too low'!)	_Assoc	1994		200	-		X
Financial Times feature FBS	_Pearson	2005		400
Financial Times diary column 'up to'	_Pearson	1994		200	-
Guardian Weekly 1200-word article + image "reduced rate"	_GMG	2009		110			XXX
Guardian Commissioned blog post - Comment is Free - minimum	_GMG	2012		90		HA
Guardian 600-word blog for ents section	_GMG	2012		87
Guardian Learn Direct online - flat rate (for 5 years)	_GMG	2012		200
Guardian page for education section, extra online material	_GMG	2012		500
Guardian unspecified feature	_GMG	2012		285
Guardian blog piece for Life & Style, online only	_GMG	2011		87		GR
Guardian feature for Family supplement (NB agreed minimum is £301.63 incl. 6.5% online uplift)	_GMG	2011		273.24	17.76
Guardian 1200 words @ £250 (again, below agreed minimum)	_GMG	2011		208
Guardian 400 words online only	_GMG	2011		87
Guardian Comment is Free	_GMG	2011		85	0
Guardian theatre blog 500 words	_GMG	2010		85			XX
Guardian 'Comment' blog	_GMG	2009		85
Guardian 600-word blog for arts section - frequently spiked, with loose promised of unspecified kill fee no exes	_GMG	2008		85		GR	XX
Guardian 300-word gig reviews , terms as Guardian agreement	_GMG	2008		100
Guardian 150-word music, film reviews , terms as Guardian agreement	_GMG	2008		50
Guardian diary piece no terms discussed	_GMG	2007		50			X
Guardian diary piece no terms discussed	_GMG	2007		30			XX
Guardian short weekly column	_GMG	1998		100	-		X
Guardian weekly short column	_GMG	1998		100	-		XX
Guardian Comment is Free standard online comment piece	_GMG	2014		90		GR
Guardian Comment is Free standard online comment piece	_GMG	2014		90		GR
Guardian Comment is free	_GMG	2009		80
Guardian Comment is Free standard online comment piece	_GMG	2014		90		GR
Herald 200-word review	_NQ	2007		50			XXX
Herald (Glasgow) London theatre review	_SMG	1994		40	-		X
i newspaper Press conference write-up FBS	_Johnsto	2017		100	0	GR
i newspaper 400-word quotes-led sports story from foreign capital @ £60 =	_Johnsto	2017		150	0
i newspaper sports news writing (website only)	_Johnsto	2017		50		GR
i newspaper 370-word sports piece, negotiated up from £80 FBS	_Johnsto	2017		90	0
Independent on Sunday half-page lead business story, 500 words, used as second lead for the whole week	_INM	2009		100			XXXX
Independent on Sunday page lead (750)	_INM	1998		80	-		XXXX
Independent features 800-1200 words-ish	_Lebedev	2013		200			X
Independent back end lead with research	_Lebedev	2013		200			XX
Independent 600-word news report from a european capital	_INM	2008		85	0	GR	XXX
Independent gig review (400 words) certain exes paid, such as ticket costs, no extra payment for web use	_INM	2008		120	0	GR
Independent Saturday mag 2pp	_INM	1994		500	-		X
Irish Examiner book review FBS	_Crosbie	2013		125		GR	X
Irish Examiner feature, length not specified	_Crosbie	2006		70			XX
Irish Independent online column	_INM	2012		90
Irish Post feature + 3 photos - terms?	_Smurf	2003		100
Irish Sunday Times 300 words news report @ £100 First Irish Serial + web	_NI	2013		333.33
Irish Times The Irishwoman's Diary	_ITtrust	2005		120
Irish Times 400 word book review	_ITtrust	2004		220			O
Mail on Sunday news story	_Assoc	2016		200
Mail On Sunday page lead news story	_Assoc	2015		500			O
Mail on Sunday kill fee for news story	_Assoc	2010		350
Mail on Sunday £2500 agreed, story spiked, all expenses paid plus kill fee, after negotiation, of	_Assoc	2009		2000
Mail on Sunday Assistance with page 1 lead	_Assoc	2000		500
Mail on Sunday page lead	_Assoc	1998		500	-
Mail on Sunday Analysis spread	_Assoc	1997		1600	-
Mail online 'real life' story - made lead on femail second UK serial rights	_Assoc	2014		40		GR
Mail online 'real life' story - made lead on femail second UK serial rights	_Assoc	2014		40		GR
Metro travel piece: 900 words including boxes, plus photos. Editor: "Look, we know it's not much but how do you think we manage to put out a free paper?" Member: "No way."	_Assoc	2008		150			XXXX
Metro 250-wd arts previews licence not known	_Assoc	2007		37.50			X
Miami Herald newsy feature from Venezuela , no exes paid, worldwide licence sought before publisher would use copy.		2009		250	0		XXX
News Of The World live music review, 100-150 words	_NI	2010		50			X
News of the World page lead mid-paper	_NI	2010		500
News of the World story research	_NI	2009		200		GR
News of the World spread	_NI	1996		3500	-
Politiken (Denmark) 750 word news piece - filed in English		2003		300
Scottish Sun online Copy (length unspecified)	_NI	2017		35			X(?)
Singtao EU (Hong-Kong based newspaper) articles of unspecified length, between £30 and £100 per article		2012		100			X
Sun p7 page lead (exclusive)	_NI	2013		950
Sun news story, made 3 pars bottom of p6	_NI	2013		55
Sun "small page lead" story, worcount not specified	_NI	2011		500			O
Sun football report , no exes	_NI	2010		30			XXX
Sun 5-par story	_NI	2009		60		GR
Sun exclusive football transfer story, 4 pars used	_NI	2009		40			X
Sun exclusive page lead inside (same rate as 1989!)	_NI	2017		950
Sunday Mirror news piece, length unspecified	_TMG	2015		250
Sunday Mirror page lead	_TMG	1998		750	-
Sunday Telegraph 750 words	_BarcB	2014		250			X
Sunday Telegraph 750 words	_BarcB	2014		250			X
Sunday Telegraph 400 word story spiked then refreshed and used following week all rights	_BarcB	2009		300		GR
Sunday Times (Scotland) column	_NI	2000		250	-
Sunday Times kill fee for 1200 words commissioned	_NI	2010		150
Sunday Times Money column	_NI	1998		250	-		X
Sunday World news page lead	_INM	2012		130			X
Telegraph reviews - commissioners trying to cut rate to £60	_BarcB	2009		100
Telegraph stories used online only, regardless of length	_BarcB	2009		25			XXXX
Telegraph 900-word feature, rate is reduction from 2007 incl. web use	_BarcB	2008		300			XX
Telegraph city diary piece no terms discussed	_BarcB	2007		35
Telegraph magazine - money section 1200-word celeb interview @ £400 =	_BarcB	2014		333			XX
Telegraph magazine - money section 1200-word celeb interview @ £400 =	_BarcB	2014		333			XX
The Daily Telegraph news story from abroad (size, placement unspecified)	_BarcB	2017		60		GR	XXX
The National, The Arab Weekly (Abu Dhabi Media) columns, 950 words @ $400 =		2015		421
The People page 17 lead, weird foreign Web included	_TMG	2014		1000	0
The People page 17 lead, weird foreign Web included	_TMG	2014		1000	0
The People page 17 lead, weird foreign Web included	_TMG	2014		1000	0
The Stage 250 word overnight review @ £20 =		2017		80			XXXX
The Sun news piece, length unspecified	_NI	2015		100
The Sun feature spread	_NI	2015		1500			O
The Sunday Times (Ireland) news story - 350 words	_NI	2007		82.50
The Tablet feature FBS		2009		200
The Times 20 x 100-word listings plus picture research	_NI	2013		400
Times 650 words @ £ 117 =	_NI	2017		180			XXXX
Times front page story	_NI	2017		233		GR	XXXX
Times 325 words @ £117 =	_NI	2017		360		GR	X
Times 120-word album, DVD, film reviews	_NI	2008		50			X
Times 80-word album reviews, Sounds section	_NI	2008		40			X
Times 450-500-word book reviews, Books sec, Sat ed	_NI	2008		150
Times news page lead	_NI	2007		130		GR	XXX
Times arts feature: for anything between 800-1200 words. no licence terms discussed	_NI	2006		350
Vice UK research for feature		2016		200
Voice (1500 think-piece)	_VTA	1994		200	-
A serious Irish newspaper 300 - 400 word property reviews		2015		150		GR
BBC News Online 800 words on G8/G20 summit , £63 extra for pix , terms not discussed	_BBC	2010		150
BBC News Online 350 word news story, includes pix , terms not discussed	_BBC	2010		100
BBC News Online 750 words plus 5 original photos	_BBC	2012		216
BBC News website feature, 3500 words, "about six weeks' work"	_BBC	2015		350			XXX
BBC World Service website per article	_BBC	2015		50			XX
Mail online news piece, length unspecified	_Assoc	2015		80
Media Wales review, 350 words		2012		50
PA sport match report 50-75 pounds	_PA	2007		50			XX
PA sport night lead (600-800 words) pathetic	_PA	2007		50			XXX
Radio 2 website subbing day, 7 hours	_BBC	2016		40
RTE online/teletext film review	_RTE	2006		51		GR
unnamed Irish tabloid Central America news story talked up from "recession price" of Euro 180 offered, same paper offered Euro 500 two years ago		2010		250
Unnamed small trade publication 400-word investigative story		2015		100
The above are the rates for Words, other / 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

Other rates:

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