Forbes Offers Media Bloggers Chance to Work For Free
Forbes is seeking to put together a top-flight team of media bloggers! They offer bloggers the chance to write for "millions of Forbes readers." In return, bloggers get no money. Sound good?
Sad to see such an established name falling into the ol' Craigslist-level "work in exchange for exposure" hustle. Patrick Phillips, the founder of IWantMedia—actually a famous site, already!—got an offer from Forbes to come be their peon:
Greetings Patrick, I cover media here at Forbes and am working on building our blogger's network — I truly enjoy IWantMedia.com (you pickup plenty of our stuff, of course). Our media and entertainment blog is one of our top channels and we're recruiting contributors to grow it. Our idea is to build a group of new contributors who will each post at least once or twice weekly offering any smart take, news or analysis related to media. Would you be interested? ...
Our posts aren't as long as regular articles — sometimes just a couple grafs. We could also consider running posts of your own from your own blog or site. There's no compensation involved, but your posts would be available to millions of Forbes readers. I've attached the blogger agreement which states (in so many words) that Forbes doesn't own your content but can use it.
So, you write a piece for Forbes—named after a man whose name is synonymous with wealth—and get nothing. Forbes gets the following:
2. In consideration of Forbes' publication of the Work, you grant FORBES the following rights in the Work:
a) Worldwide rights to publish in any or all editions/versions of the Publications (defined as Forbes.com, FORBES Magazine, FORBESLIFE Magazine, FORBES WOMAN Magazine, and other Forbes branded/affiliated media) including domestic and foreign, whether in the English language or translated into a foreign language, including any successor, similar or replacement versions thereof;
b) The right to use the Work as it appears in the Publications in advertising and promoting FORBES, its publications and/or its products;
c) Non-exclusive rights to republish, syndicate, distribute and/or sell reprints of all or any portion of the Work in any language and in any country;
d) The right to use your name and likeness in a fair and dignified manner and to publish information about you in connection with the advertising and promotion of the Publications;
e) All rights granted by this agreement are granted in perpetuity and applicable in all media including, but not limited to, all electronic media, internet, wireless or mobile platforms whether now known or hereafter created.
New media! It's different now.