Tight budgets squeeze freelancers out of a living. A passable wage is generally accepted as the element which distinguishes a particular vocation from a profession.

At some point in recent history, writing seems to have been demoted from a profession to something resembling a hobby. Compensation for freelance writing gigs is nothing shy of pitiful. According to the Los Angeles Times‘ James Rainey, “Seasoned professionals have seen their income drop by 50% or more as publishers fill the Web’s seemingly limitless news hole, drawing on the ever-expanding rank of under-employed writers.”

Stories that do manage to surface are short and snappy, on the shallow side, largely focused on pop culture, or worse still, corporate sponsored.  While our journalists are missing paychecks, what will we be missing?

Read more at LATimes.