Brendan O’Neill is wrong on unpaid internships
For this week’s edition of The Spectator, Spiked Magazine Editor Brendan O’Neill has put forward a passionate defence of unpaid internships. And he has a long list of insults for those of us who disagree – we are 'ridiculous', 'preposterous' and 'nauseating'. I can appreciate why he might be so angry about our efforts to ensure fair practice: 'Due to limited funds' at his website, 'interns work on a voluntary basis.' O’Neill’s unpaid interns provide him with 'administrative support', enabling them to improve their 'organisational skills', alongside writing and research. As O’Neill knows (Spiked internships can last several months), modern day unpaid internships are a far cry from the week or two’s work experience of the past.
