Should interns be paid? – POLL

One of the ways people break into broadcasting is through internships.

That’s where students are permitted to work at radio and television stations for no pay but the experience. That experience through performance and networking could one day lead to employment either there or somewhere else. There is no pay involved nor should there be. But now it seems either there could be or internships could be eliminated altogether.

A motion for a settlement has been filed in an intern’s class action lawsuit against Sirius radio alleging that the company should have paid their interns but did not. So now Surius will pay $1.297,350 to settle.

The suit claims that Sirius/XM interns routinely performed the most mundane and repetitive tasks that were nonetheless essential to SiriusXM’s operations and thus reduced the need for paid employees. To that I say so what? Sorry they couldn’t get them on the air in morning drive, then again those people get paid as well.  (a lot from what I hear ;)

The whole idea of interning is to introduce students to the workplace. It’s not all glamour and those repetitive tasks that they are given, need to be done. It’s the least they can do for the opportunity they are being given to begin their careers.

If we get to the point where companies are paying interns, that money will instead be used on more experienced people who are out of work and would love the opportunity to get back in, any way they possible can.

Do you think interns should be paid for the work that they do?