Payment
Not all “whistle blowers” require payment. However we understand a majority of contributors will require payment and assistance towards their expenses. If payment is not required, then we will make a contribution to a charity chosen by the “whistle blower”.
If you are considering payment, the following information may assist you to determine the value of your story:-
Contrary to public opinion, national newspapers are not awash with cash and will only pay for information or stories they can use. Payment will be dependent on many factors, not least of which will be the exclusivity of the story and whether the story is already in the public domain.
The “newsworthiness” of a story is the greatest determining factor in the price paid to the contributor – if a story concerns a celebrity or say, a cabinet minister, it follows it will attract a greater fee than an article involving a low profile civil servant or a local councillor.
Likewise, a story of national or international importance, especially if it involves Government, Government policy, Government ministers, or perhaps, any large organisation, will have a far greater appeal to editors - but only if it remains “exclusive” to that particular newspaper.
Equally, the position of the published story within the paper has a significant impact on the price editors are willing to pay; if the story becomes the “splash” (the main headline) it is worth significantly more than an entry inside the paper. Again, the position within the paper determines the value of a story; a page lead (the main story on the page) on page 3 (the page facing you when you open the paper) is worth far more than an article, a paragraph long, which appears on page 11.
In essence, many factors influence the price of a story and consequently it is impossible to determine what a story is worth. We may be able to give you an indication but that too will be conditional on many factors. Not least of which is where the article is placed – editors have differing priorities and consequently will assess the value of a story in accordance with their editorial preference. The same story offered to different newspapers will, almost certainly attract vastly different fees.
What do we charge for our services?
Press Agencies usually take anything from 25% to 50% of the fee a story generates. At “Whistle Blowers” we do not take any money, whatsoever, from the contributor and what is more, we arrange for the newspaper/broadcaster in question to pay you directly.
After a story has broken, it is often the case competing newspapers and/or magazines will show a healthy interest in the content, perhaps approaching it from a different angle to regenerate interest. Managed properly, a story can continue to produce an income long after the initial exposure and occasionally the additional fees exceed that paid for the original story!
At “Whistle Blowers” we utilise a “second generation” policy to promote the story with other publications/broadcasters. Yet again, we will not take any of the contributor’s fee and will arrange direct payment.
Top of page