I agree 100%. As a former photo staffer at several newspapers and being laid off several times, I have seen freelance rates become impossible to accept and inexperienced and not so inexperienced people agreeing to draconian contracts. Every time you agree to a shitty deal, your decision impacts everyone else, as you said. Journalism is becoming a difficult place to make a living though. That is an inescapable truth too. Even as a staffer, the pay is ridiculously low, at middle and low level publications. Good enough has become good enough too and that has pushed fees down. Quality has suffered. Even legendary photojs are teaching workshops all over the world because of the difficulty of paying bills. As newspapers are swallowed by conglomerates (Amazon for example, and chop shops like Gatehouse) and migrate to the web, staffs will dwindle even more. Unless freelancers as a group can create a united front to demand better rates, PR will always be a better career bet for recent grads. It’s an industry going through a massive mutation , for a better word. I for one, refuse to cry.
