It’s very easy to have theoretical morals. You can say to yourself “I’ll never write anything for Associated Newspapers for as long as I live”, knowing full well that the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday et al aren’t going to beat down your doors with thousands in cash to make you.
But what happens if someone dubious does come to your door, offering you money? Is it easy to make the same commitment?
I have an ad in Press Gazette. It runs weekly and is mostly useless; I’ll get round to changing the wording some time, I’m sure, but I doubt they’ll ever get round to so much as hypertexting my URL and email address on their web site. Lazy buggers.
Anyway, I’ve just had my first editorial enquiry as the result of it. A Spanish company is launching a new mag, 24-K, and they’re looking for freelances to fill its pages. The money isn’t brilliant but it’s not awful and they’re looking for gadget and film reviews, which I’m more than up to.
The problem is this: bound into every edition of the magazine will be 12 pages of hardcore porn. And this is a Spanish magazine we’re talking about here, so I’m guessing ‘Confessions of a Window Cleaner’ it ain’t.
Now I’m not especially against porn in principle. My concerns are for the models who are often drug addicted, psychologically damaged after sexual abuse and so on: these are well-worn arguments and I don’t have to repeat them here. If the models were all happy, well-adjusted, well paid and so on, I’d have no issues.
Anyway, essentially, this company has made its money from the exploitation of the vulnerable and anything I write will not only be paid for in part with that money but will be accompanied by yet more exploitation.
On the other hand, it’ll be cash, a new client and more articles to add to my portfolio that could eventually get me more clients, more cash, etc. Maybe this company’s models really are happy, well-adjusted, etc and I’m just making assumptions. And there are plenty of companies out there who have made their money dubiously without any of us realising it: how many Daily Express readers know how its proprietor made his millions? How many Daily Mail readers know that the Rothmeres supported Oswald Mosley and Hitler? Then there’s GAP, Nike, McDonald’s, WalMart, et al. Do I stop working for or buying from any company that may have compromised ethics? I’ll starve if I do.
Suddenly, the ethics of the situation don’t look clear cut. What do you think I should do? I’m siding with the “don’t do it” argument at the moment, but I’m still feeling the temptation…