Work for Exposure, The Aftermath
The power of newsletters and social media (and BBC's apology)
In the Flash is a reader-supported publication about intent and creativity in photography. Many of the posts are open to the public, but paid subscribers receive all of the articles, have full access to the archives, and keep this newsletter going.
I got a reply back from the BBC two days after Why Work for Exposure is Photography's Biggest Ponzi Scheme was published. The editor apologized for not offering a budget for the promo campaign. “We totally understand and appreciate your feedback, which has been noted. We’re sorry we weren’t able to include your wonderful work on this occasion due to financial restraints, but hope to one day in future on terms which are more agreeable.”
It will remain a mystery whether the response was prompted by the newsletter, but it did come right at its heels after almost a week of radio silence. Either way, I appreciated it. In a world where a request for a fee makes most editors vanish with the dexterity of a magician, this email was a nice gesture. And it made me think that maybe the newsletter could serve as a catalyst for holding publications accountable.