Jennifer WrightVerified account

Doesn't that demonstrate making "a living" in the field, at least by way of paid articles, is now a thing of the past?

Nope, I work for a bunch of places that pay me very well and make a comfortable living.

I realize that. The point is, if obsolescence is inevitable, why not embrace change and start designing a new business model that will empower writers? Yes, I'm on your side

What is obsolescence? Writing? Paying? Reading? The need of good stories is as hunger, a necesity for the soul, pay for it as for bread

The current business model where newspapers, especially free ones such as @LAWeekly , pay writers for contributing articles is what's facing obsolescence.

This feels super timely to me. I hope they run it.

I was thinking along the lines of poorly written + unsourced left-wing conspiracy theories + made-up hipster tips. Exhaust them + waste their time until they give up + hopefully sell (back) to a real publisher. And of course, submit the usual good stories to a respectable outfit.

As if people want to read the experiences of random people who've never written professionally. @gwynnstu What's the deal with these people?

Wow. So only people who had the privileges of decorated authors deserve to be read? Elitist much. - signed, random person

It’s not elitist to not want people to be taken advantage of. Writing for free is SO tempting for those trying to break into the field, but it doesn’t produce results for the writer. Not great for building a network, readership, or getting in front of /1

I'm sorry that you feel that way, that's not what I meant by my comment

OK, you wanna talk about what "elitist" is? "Elitist" is when you don't pay your journalists, so the only people who can afford to write for you are trust-fund babies who don't need paid gigs because Mommy and Daddy are paying their bills. THAT's elitist.

Case in point: I’m the child of a single mother, grew up in a trailer park. Only paid newspaper internships and paid freelance allowed me entry to the profession and to have a journalism career for 30+ years.

And THAT'S what I'm talking about. Not paying for journalism, or journalists, devalues the work and ensures it will be done only as a lark by people with independent sources of income, who will quit on a whim or whenever it gets too hard. They won't feel any sense of mission.