Freelance contributors to The Herald group of newspapers are being asked to agree to new set of terms and conditions, including £30 for a sports match report and £115 for a reporting or sub-editing shift.

Says a letter sent by the papers’ group managing editor, Tom Thomson, only those who are prepared to sign the agreement will be considered eligible to work for the group’s titles: The Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times.

Included in the document is confirmation that freelancers hold the copyright to their material - unless they are doing casual shifts, whereupon any material produced during the shift belongs to the newspapers - but that The Herald group can re-use it. Any revenue that stems from it having been syndicated will be split 50-50, after the subtraction of costs.

Mileage is 20p per mile and an arts review is £25. It is understood that, while identified as ‘minimum’ rates, for many freelancers, what is being offered will represent a decrease.

Contributors are required to produce content “to the highest professional and ethical standards” and comply with the Code of Practice issued by the Press Complaints Commission.

The photographer or video journalist shift rate is £130 while £140 is the minimum payment to work on the group’s multimedia desk.

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