The struggling writer

"If the advantages for you outweigh the benefit the publication receives, then it is justified," said the editor of a local newspaper during my interview. But some publications exist that make the writer work for no pay, and no other benefit than they get their name published.

I have worked for one such magazine recently. I did not want it to count towards my credits, but the internship was flexible and unpaid. Just what a part-time-working, full-time student needed. I thought I was getting a pretty sweet deal at the time, since my only aim was to collect bylines. But what I thought ideal was proclaimed flawed.

I was being interviewed by an editor of a newspaper and without saying so he made me understand my work was crap. I agree.

The magazine was full of community stories. Which was fine. But the way in which the company worked and profited was questionable. They made donations to local organizations and wrote articles about the organization. They were paid for ad space and in turn wrote a piece about the business. But it had to be written in AP style.

I thought that would be enough to impress prospective employers. Turns out my AK-47 was just a BB gun. That sucked.

So even though it was my choice not to take the internship for credit, turns out they can get in trouble for that since the were profiting immensely from it.

Recently this debate reached the ears of higher authorities and clear definitions were written:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/04/labor-dept-defines-rules-criteria-for-unpaid-internships/1