Newspaper business exempt?

annmarie

If one works at a newspaper as a graphic artist and is NOT a journalist, does this person qualify for overtime? Is the entire newspaper business exempt from overtime pay?

Shadowfax

Well, I'm not in the news business, but the last time I had any reason to run accross the regs in this area, unless they were changed last year, newspapaer em'ees of circulation of less than 4000 were exempt, but mpost reporters and journalists were not. I still think you would have to qualify under the 'creative professionals' provisions of 302, as would the journalist. My reccollecdtion of some of the case law(from a few years ago) was that unless someone had significant discretion, ie, editorial duties, reporters and journalists jusst did not meet the test. When you think about it, it really makes sense - reporters are to report the facdts, not get 'creative' with them. If someone has some real recent experiance in this area, they may prove I'm all wet. May graphic arts as applied by you qualify, but you'll have to run what you do through 302 and decide.

HRinGA

I work in the newspaper industry and we pay all graphic artists OT. There is a book published by NAA titled "An Overview of Wage and Hour Laws as They Apply to Newspapers". I highly recommend it! It's made my life a lot easier.

Shadowfax

Now that we have someone who actualy knows about that which is under discussion - is there a distinction between, say editors and reporters? What is a journalist? And how is he different from a reporter?

crawfod

Here is 29CFR regarding newspaper professionals.

[url]http://www.dol.gov/dol/allcfr/ESA/Title_29/Part_541/29CFR541.302.htm[/url]

HRinGA

An editor directs the work of the reporter. i.e. helps them with story ideas, gives them direction on how to move on a story, reviews their progress along the way, etc. They usually are the manager of a division, like the Metro Editor or Features Editor. A reporter gathers information and facts, interviews people, etc. to write the article. We then have copy editors who proof the reporters' work, creates a headline for the article and writes the caption underneath the photo that may accompany the article.
The difference between a journalist and a reporter? Semantics. Some might say there is more prestige in being called a journalist vs a reporter. Or that it simply sounds better. A lot of times the folks on TV will refer to themselves as journalists. But, in my opinion, and most of the reporters in the newsroom, they are one and the same.