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Petition calls for higher pay for WNYC interns

Y2kTheNewOldies

Y2kTheNewOldies

http://current.org/2016/04/petition-calls-for-higher-pay-for-wnyc-interns/

Well argument here is that other Public media entities do the same as in pay interns.

“NPR, APM [American Public Media], WBEZ, KPCC, and This American Life all pay interns, and we’re hoping to see WNYC join that list of organizations,” Capper said.

At the time of this post, the petition has 299 backers.

UPDATED: A WNYC spokesperson replied with the following statement: “New York Public Radio greatly values the contributions of its interns. The NYPR internship has traditionally been an unpaid internship for students actively enrolled and attending an accredited institution or individuals who have graduated in the last 12 months from an accredited institution, with a strong focus on experiential learning and skills-building. We are currently engaged in a process of assessing how a paid internship might be structured and funded. NYPR is also fully invested in diversifying its workforce, and is in the process of creating a three-year Diversity and Inclusion strategic plan, of which paid internships would be one element.”
 
RadioPatrol said:
http://current.org/2016/04/petition-calls-for-higher-pay-for-wnyc-interns/

Well argument here is that other Public media entities do the same as in pay interns.

“NPR, APM [American Public Media], WBEZ, KPCC, and This American Life all pay interns, and we’re hoping to see WNYC join that list of organizations,” Capper said.

At the time of this post, the petition has 299 backers.

UPDATED: A WNYC spokesperson replied with the following statement: “New York Public Radio greatly values the contributions of its interns. The NYPR internship has traditionally been an unpaid internship for students actively enrolled and attending an accredited institution or individuals who have graduated in the last 12 months from an accredited institution, with a strong focus on experiential learning and skills-building. We are currently engaged in a process of assessing how a paid internship might be structured and funded. NYPR is also fully invested in diversifying its workforce, and is in the process of creating a three-year Diversity and Inclusion strategic plan, of which paid internships would be one element.”
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The result of this kind of pressure usually consists of the suspension or elimination of the internship program. It's a Pyrrhic victory.
 
A sad comment on a program that does a lot for a lot of young folks starting out in the broadcast industry. If this door closes, it will mean that many will lose an avenue to a job because sine greedy folks think they deserve more. Just a guess, but I bet the majority of these folks are not the stars of the intern programs. Such a shame but like so much in life a few spoil it for the many.
 
Internship programs are a big rip-off. Because they aren't paid, they are not expected to do anything useful. Before internship programs, a lot of students got part-time jobs at stations - low level or entry level, weekends, evenings summers, announcers, DJs, news staff, board ops. They didn't get paid much over minimum wage but they did real work and got real work experience. Getting coffee qualifies you to work at Starbucks. Making copies qualifies you to work at Staples.
 
Oscar Madison said:
Internship programs are a big rip-off. Because they aren't paid, they are not expected to do anything useful. Before internship programs, a lot of students got part-time jobs at stations - low level or entry level, weekends, evenings summers, announcers, DJs, news staff, board ops. They didn't get paid much over minimum wage but they did real work and got real work experience. Getting coffee qualifies you to work at Starbucks. Making copies qualifies you to work at Staples.
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As someone who began a 58 year career in radio by getting coffee, taking out the trash, filing albums and cleaning toilets for free, I disagree. I got in the door and was first in line to be hired part-time. I learned a lot because I became everyone's fried and helper.
 
Oscar Madison said:
Before internship programs, a lot of students got part-time jobs at stations
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Hiring laws have changed the playing field. Companies are nervous about hiring someone because of the rising cost of health care, and the potential for a lawsuit if the employee doesn't work out. The internship gives a company a chance to try out a potential employee, and find out if they're worth actually hiring. These days, a lot of internships lead to paying jobs upon graduation.
 
Sorry, guys. With the exception of student radio in my freshman year, I never worked for free. I got in the door and got hired. I was not full time, so I didn't get health insurance (part-time workers still don't) but I got paid and I went on the air, played records, hosted a talk show, covered news... and I only got coffee for myself.

Not only do interns not get paid, they have to pay tuition for the privilege. And they waste the opportunity to take whatever real course they could have taken while they are playing radio.

Anybody can be an intern. These are not regarded as potential employees and there percentage hired because of an internship is minuscule. And because internships are supposed to a "learning experience," interns get fake assignments and somebody on staff has to waste time correcting their work.
 
Dear Oscar...I don't know where you worked but I can tell you from first hand experience that a major NYC radio station is loaded with producers, board ups and even management types that all started there as interns. Believe me...it's always easy to tell which ones are the cream and worth keeping, and management does all they can to find a place for them. Perhaps your experience was different, but that's you.
 
The role of an intern at a radio station must have different meanings in different markets. When I was still in radio we had two interns and both of them did everything except cut commercials. The two of them even had their own weekend airshifts. That was in Maryland. Here in Denver my co-worker has a daughter who some years back was an intern for one of our local stations. Really the only thing she did for them was to drive the station van every Saturday afternoon up and down the Colorado Front Range. That was pretty much it. Oh yes according her the few members of their airstaff for some unknown reason wouldn't even speak to her nor was she allowed inside the station outside of regular business hours. Was it a waste ? She said no since just by having a Denver station on her resume even if the only thing she did was drive it did help her find a radio promotions job in Oklahoma.
 
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I could see pressure coming from the WNYC donor base to make this change. I suspect that the people who actually provide the funds for WNYC to operate (other than the taxpayer funds this station receives for no justifiable purpose) actually probably believe interns should make at least the minimum wage.

It may lead to fewer intern slots, but likely not the complete elimination of the program.
 
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