Photo Business News archive, 2006–2026. New writing is at Substack.

The AP 2008 Contract Analysis – Rates

by
The rates are all over the place. We couldn’t collect the figures from all the various bureaus, but we’ve got what we understand to be a few. If you have one for your city, feel free to post the figures in the comments section of this post – anonymously of course – so others may know the different rates per region/bureau. If you’ve got a correction, send it along and we’ll update this post.
(Continued after the Jump)


Ohio’s base rate is now $175, and the multiple assignment/tournament rate is now $275.

In Florida, the rate for news or Feature coverage – single assignment. Legislative, business, news, sports news conference, weather feature, interviews, or a member special went from $160 to $250. For news or feature coverage – multiple assignments, assignments in nearby locations, the rate is $425. For major assignments, all day stake-outs, in-depth feature coverage of a story that is particularly time consuming, the rate is $350. Single sporting event – pro and college basketball, baseball, or hockey, for instance, the rate is $250. For football, both pro and college, the rate is $300. for the multiple assignment/tournament rate, pro and college golf, car racing, tennis, or other sporting tournaments, for example, the rate is now $350.

For DC, the first assignment is now $250, Football games are $300, extended coverage is $350, and multiple assignments are apparently now $425.

For Richmond, the single assignment is $200, major assignments that require extended coverage is now $300, multiple assignments are now $325, all single game or single event sports (except football) are $225, all football games are $250, and multi-game sports tournaments or sports events requiring extended coverage is now $300.

Each rate sheet includes the following language:
“AP does not pay itemized assignment expenses. Assignment rates include typical costs including mileage in and around town, parking, and tolls. Assignment costs for assignments requiring extended travel or other extraordinary expenses are estimated and agreed upon in advance and reflected in a new, overall negotiated rate. Unforseen extraordinary costs are negotiated after the fact and reflected in a new, all inclusive rate.”

Yes, these rates are higher. They certainly should be since the last rate hike, since everything – including cameras! – has gotten more expensive. Factoring in just a the cost-of-living increases since the last rate hike, these rates are not a “raise”, they barely (if they even do) keep up with the cost of inflation.

Continue Reading:

Please post your comments by clicking the link below. If you’ve got questions, please pose them in our Photo Business Forum Flickr Group Discussion Threads.

Originally published on Photo Business News & Forum on April 18, 2008. Comments are closed; this post is part of the archive.

6 thoughts on “The AP 2008 Contract Analysis – Rates”

  1. The central america rate is $50 per photo or if you file more than 2 photos it’s $100 daily. And there is no wiff of sharing royalties.
  2. If would very interesting to know what photographers involved in the new contract have to say about it.

    I’m wondering if it’s really beneficial to you as AP (freelancer) photographer to submit your out-takes as stock. How will AP track the sales, handle the new photos, etc? Will you really see any new income for the out-takes.

    The new contract sounds to me if you take an assigment out to town…will you really get paid for mileage, meals, etc. in order to do the assignment. You really can’t figure expenses for an assignment prior to doing it, stuff happens when you’re out to town
  3. I was one of the many who left the AP after having the 1998 contract forced upon us. It was sign the contract or don’t work. There was no negotiating. AP’s successful forcing of that contract was ultimately the first domino to fall in the daily news photography rate game. I never looked back, found better clients, made better pictures, made better money and rarely thought about the AP afterwards. A few years after I left, I saw one of their “stringers” (I hate that word) at a news event I was covering for a corporate client. I got paid at least 4-5 times what he got paid that day and still retained the rights to my photos. In the end, each photographer makes their own choices. I made mine and never regretted it for a second.
  4. Chicago’s rates are the same as Richmond, VA.

    Isn’t the cost of living/gas/parking higher in Chicago? Why in the heck is FL so much higher than everyone else?

    As for a CD of out takes, they requested that in the last contract, but never asked for it. Unless they really needed it which was 2x in 4 years.
  5. The rates have actually decreased in some states. There were distance rate increases built in the past contract to compensate when you drove far. That’s gone and overall it’s less going to be less money. Absolutely atrocious considering gas prices.
  6. Rates are basically the same as Ohio here in the lower Midwest.

    The area I cover as a stringer frequently requires trips of 100 or more miles each way, so I’m quite concerned about the lack of a sliding scale for distance like there was under the old rate scale.

    I noted that the “rate explainer” page accompanying the rate card says, quote, “assignment costs for assignments requiring extended travel or other extraordinary expenses are estimated and agreed upon in advance and reflected in a new, overall negotiated rate.”

    I assume this means the if the local bureau calls wanting me to shoot something well out of town, it’s at least possible to come back at them with a higher rate. Otherwise, with $4/gallon gas, forget it.

Comments are closed.