The News columnist quits for not getting paid

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 13 June 2015

Asna Ali has ceased writing for The News due to unpaid contributions over the past year and a half. She has transitioned to writing for Dawn, citing loyalty and frustration with the compensation practices.

Summary

ISLAMABAD: The News columnist Asna Ali has stopped writing her weekly article for the newspaper after not getting paid for the last year and a half and has now switched to Dawn. She wrote a weekly article for The News on socio-political issues for three years and was paid for only half of her pieces out of 108. “I started at TN exactly three years ago and I am leaving it for now because I haven't been paid a single rupee for work done over the last year and a half ,” she wrote on her Facebook page. “I have stuck by them out of loyalty and I do hope that this culture of non payment to freelancers will change but right now there is no chance of this happening. So I've called it quits,” she said. “There is nothing I love to do more than writing and money was a secondary concern compared to the joy of discussing a new topic each week and seeing my work published.” “Onwards to better things. Thanks for everything TN and please pay me soon,” she said.

KEY POINTS:

• Asna Ali stopped writing for The News after 18 months of non-payment.
• She had written 108 pieces, getting paid for only half.
• Ali expressed her hope for better payment practices for freelancers.
• She has transitioned to writing for Dawn.
• Ali emphasizes her passion for writing over financial concerns.