Four years ago, Gary Ross offered a freelance writer $4,000 for a 4,000-word feature. Her response: “Gary, we had this same conversation 20 years ago.” The then-editor of Saturday Night—now editor of Vancouver Magazine—was having budget problems and could only afford to offer the writer the same rate he gave her in 1985. She ended up taking the assignment. “What’s her alternative?” Ross says. “She will just forego $4,000 in income.”
[…]
Ross also says he’s not afraid to turn to non-CWG members if the agency demands a rate he can’t afford. “How can you raise freelance rates if you don’t have some guarantee that by raising the rates of freelancers, you’re going to somehow improve the income that the magazine generates?” he asks. “It’s a very hard case to make.”
” http://www.mastheadonline.ca/news/2009/20090529655.shtml