Kerrang! journalists’ strike shows true metal

In December freelance writers at music magazine Kerrang! showed the power of coordinated, collective action.

After 16 freelance contributors withdrew their labour, the magazine’s management agreed to meet all their terms. These included the settlement of all outstanding invoices, some of which stretched back to the summer; the reversion of the 30-day payment timetable; and assurances on contributors being paid in full and on time in future.

Kerrang! is a news portal and quarterly magazine specialising in genres of guitar-oriented rock. In a previous incarnation, it was the UK’s biggest selling music weekly. It is now owned by Wasted Talent Media, owner of The Face and Mixmag.

Anger among the writers arose shortly before Christmas when the company unilaterally announced a change of business terms from paying 30 days after publication to paying 60 days after publication. Several writers also had significant sums outstanding.

It took just an hour and 19 minutes for Kerrang! to reverse their plans after the 14 writers and two photographers announced the strike.

Ian Winwood, an NUJ member who helped co-ordinate the action, said:

“There was a lot of anger about the imposition of new terms. We writers have long been connected by an instant messaging group, and it was quickly clear that there was a mood to resist. We told the magazine’s management that we would not write another word until their met our terms, and an hour and 19 minutes later, they came round to our point of view.”

 “A vibrant music press is vital underpinning for the entire music industry, and we are all proud to work for a title that is a slick production and so well-considered as Kerrang! Freelance journalism is a precarious way to make a living, though and a change of terms like those proposed can make a dramatic difference to our ability to sustain ourselves. A total victory for collective actions and common sense is something to celebrate.”

Tim Dawson, NUJ freelance organiser, said:

“The business terms imposed on freelance journalists is the unseen scandal of the British media. The UK government is considering statutory changes to outlaw the exploitation of freelances. I hope that this collective action inspires other freelances to stand up for themselves, as well as providing government ministers with a further prompt to act.”

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