CNN stretching time it takes for freelancers to get paid

By MixDex Article may include affiliate links

In wake of reported buyouts and impending layoffs, CNN has made another fiscal change in how it pays freelancers.

  • According to independent freelance producer Marcus DiPaola, CNN parent WarnerMedia informed at least some freelancers that it is switching to net 90 payment terms on invoices.
  • In other words, freelancers will be paid within 90 days of issuing an invoice to CNN, as opposed to a 30 day window.
  • The reason for the change, according to the letter, is that it is “better aligned with its corporate interests.”
  • Many freelancers and freelancer advocate groups have balked at the change, noting that stretching payment windows to three months could prove challenging for workers who often have to pay bills, such as mortgages or rent, monthly.
  • In the same letter, WarnerMedia indicated that it is working with Citi to create a program that will allow freelancers to get paid in under 30 days, though it did not share details or if added fees might be involved in such a program.

  • Many have pointed out how lame (and selfish) WarnerMedia’s excuse of being “better aligned with its corporate interests” sounds.
  • Stretching the time it takes to pay vendors, including freelancers, is a common accounting “trick” in the corporate world.
  • CNN, like many broadcasters, relies on freelancers for a variety of reporting, including behind the scenes roles.