Huffington Post should pay its bloggers, says a HuffPo blogger

Posted by Christie Silk on July 17, 2009 at 4:03 PM

The Huffington Pos t boasts a dynamic, varied collection of bloggers. The site allows contributors to write for free, to fulfil the "more is the merrier" ethos and affirm the convinction that "content is king". Yet for how long can a voluntary contribution system sustain high journalistic standards and garner an eclectic reservoir of contributors? HuffPo blogger (unpaid) and author, Michelle Haimoff proposes that a payment system would enlarge the contributor and ultimately reader, demographic, thereby encouraging site productivity and content quality.

Currently, those willing to write for free do so for the obvious benefits of exposure, experience

and networking opportunities. Yet they do so because they can afford to. As a result, the HuffPo showcase is becomingly increasingly "homogenous" and could, in the long term, develop into an exclusive platform for the rich and famous which "will alienate readers that aren't a part of this demographic." Alienation of readers will be of inevitable damage to revenue, whilst the homogenisation of content would betray fundamentals of the HuffPo ethos.

Moreover, Haimoff maintains that that the HuffPo, as a leading force in the new media wave, has a moral responsibility "to set a payment precedent that values content providers." This suggests that the payment of contributors is more a gesture of respect and recognition, thus the HuffPo could seize the opportunity to propagate these values as cornerstones of a developing industry able to reconcile profitability and fairness.

Haimoth proposes a monetary "award system" designed to encourage both editorial quality and hit-attracting articles. Her plan is not claim to be a firm potential model, but as discussion starter.

The article has certainly provoked a number of responses, although it is uncertain if the debate is currently raging in the offices of the HuffPo echelons. Haimoth's proposals may show that theoretically, the HuffPo could afford to pay its best bloggers, yet it is the principle of payment which has incited concerns. One response emphasised the career enhancing benefits of writing for the HuffPo, which thousands of aspiring writers would leap at the chance to obtain without demanding financial compensation, such is the nature of the industry. Additionally, the development of an award system would be likely to have detrimental effects on productivity and it is questionable if any other payment system would produce a more sustainable, long-term business model.

Source: The Huffington Post