How Unpaid Internships are Hurting the Publishing Industry

Many publishing companies believe they are doing a favor by offering students an unpaid internship at a prominent magazine or book publisher.  And I’m not naïve enough to realize that some small business presses need extra help in order to survive.  Or, similarly, that some publishers cannot survive financially without the aid of government subsidies, bursaries, and, of course, these very internships I speak of.  However, at the same time I sometimes want to go to some of the editors working at these publishers and yell, “How dare you come to me and expect me to work for nothing.  Do you get a paycheck?  Do you get paid?  Why don’t you talk to someone a little more naïve who just fell off the turnip truck.”  I suppose I’m at that arrogant age when every recent graduate realizes their skills have actual monetary value. 

Let me first introduce myself.  I’m a recent graduate of Centennial College’s book and magazine publishing program.  This one-year diploma, unlike many programs offered at the college, requires its applicants to have a minimum of a B.A. or equivalent (as well as a portfolio of written samples to boot) if they wish to be accepted the following semester.  Once enrolled, the syllabus includes courses in copyediting, feature writing, copyrights and contracts, magazine sales and marketing, book sales and marketing, design (primarily in QuarkPress and InDesign), and online magazines as well as a six-week field placement if all grades are satisfactory. 

Of course throughout the year rumors spread of a girl who spent two years at Macleans before being offered a permanent position somewhere in their editorial department.  My best friend’s older sister, who like me graduated from York University with a degree in English, spent a year at a prominent teacher’s magazine (which I choose to remain nameless) before ever receiving a regular paycheck. 

My internship was a stint at Rogers Publishing largely providing editorial assistance to Canadian Grocer, Hardware Merchandising, and Canadian Contractor magazine.  I had no complaints with Rogers.  In fact I gained a lot of valuable work experience and got a feel for how a magazine operates in the real world.  Now I’m not saying there are no jobs for the recent graduates, nor am I saying that all internships are worthless (or unpaid).  Some pay very well in fact.