Some thoughts on writing for free:

When I started out aged 16-17, I wrote for free for a number of great blogs and websites, all of which were unpaid.

I started The Indiependent in 2014 when I was in sixth form, and have worked on it VOLUNTARILY ever since. I probably spend about 20 hours a week working on the site, alongside a day job which I need to do to live.

The amazing editors all give up their time to do the same, often juggling their positions alongside university/work. For them, they get the editorial experience which to someone looking to apply for a journalism course or go on to work in the media industry, is valuable.

It functions as a communal portfolio site, where people do not have to spend any time or money setting up a website or learning digital skills, you can just write words and share them with an established readership.

Running a blog, especially when you don’t have a substantial social media following, is often a lonely and depressing experience where you don’t get any engagement.

Trying to pitch to national publications is depressing for an experienced freelance journalist, let alone inexperienced newcomers who i) don’t have any clippings and ii) don’t understand what a pitch is or how to write one.

Spending some time writing for a publication that can i) give you those clippings and ii) teach you what a good pitch should contain is a useful experience.

As a student, I wrote for free for a national newspaper and got very excited about my byline.

As did my family, in fact my Granddad printed out and laminated the article.

If you have the financial resources to pay people for their work, you absolutely should regardless of their experience level.

But the bottom line is, The Indiependent is a money pit. Maybe that’s my failure to monetise it effectively - if it is, then I would love to hear from the “should not write for free” crowd how to change that.

Every penny we have made (whether that’s from ads, selling magazines, or courses/webinars) has been reinvested back into the site - I do not take a penny out of the business myself.

In fact, I’ve spent over £15,000 over the last 7 years to make the site function - those costs include hosting, maintenance and subscriptions/services that make us more efficient and professional.

As soon as I had the financial means to do so (i.e. was no longer a full-time student), I set up Writer of the Month awards to compensate those I could for their work - it's not much (total value £65), but it's a gesture.

The cash value of this award means very little to those that win, it’s more about being recognised for their work (and goes hand in hand with a LinkedIn endorsement/reference which may help them in their careers).

I get messages on a daily basis from The Indiependent contributor/editorial team thanking me for the opportunities we are providing (today is no different): it is clear that those writing for us see value in the platform, editorial feedback and community we provide.

Experienced journalists who say things like “it’s not about you, it’s about devaluing the product - the writing - for a whole industry of people”, I know you mean well.

But your anger is misdirected at the young people who have built communities and support networks, who share educational resources and who read and comment on peoples’ work when they are just starting out.

That encouragement and support network where you can ask “What the hell is a commissioning editor?” means so much more to someone in the early stages of their career than the insubstantial sums of money many NATIONAL publications pay for writing.

Instead of criticising teenagers and twenty-somethings for creating a space in which we can learn from each other and grow, why don’t you redirect your anger at the national outlets who still run unpaid internships?

There is a huge access problem in journalism that organisations like @PressPadUK are trying to solve.
But there’s another access problem in that if you don’t go to university/have a journalism qualification, you have no way of getting clippings that will lead to paid work

(other than writing for your own blog, which, see above, often requires i) time to set up ii) tech skills many people don't have an iii) marketing savvy to actually get readers)

Yes, you should aim to move from unpaid writing work to paid writing work as soon as you feel confident to do so. But once you move on, don’t look back at those publications that gave you the confidence to get started with derision

Sites like @indie_pendent @empowordjournos @CandidOrange @themeridianmag all offer enormous value: they are helping the next generation of writers to find their voices.

*mic drop*