Li Yinhe

media - Paying for an interview

The popular sociologist Li Yinhue is stirring controversy by asking money to be interviewed, writes That's Beijing. She asks about 500 Rmb per hour (50 euro). Quite different from the first months as a journalist in China where I had to convince Chinese companies they did not have to pay me.
Different countries have different traditions in dealing with the issue. On my first trips in Northern Ireland I was initially shocked when the boys in the street of Belfast offered to stone some British army vehicles for a fee. For something extra they would actually get some Molotov cocktails out. For a Dutch journalists that was not done, but some British journalists had screwed up the climate by offering payment.
Later they were quite happy to do all those things without payment: in those days it was their way to pass the time.
Compensating people for the costs they make would be ok, even for time they spend while they cannot make money, but accepting a fee, I find it is not done.