I have to laugh every time I see in the media a new broadside fired at Wal-Mart for paying its workers “low” wages. The Left has determined that Wal-Mart epitomizes everything that’s bad about capitalism. Joined at the hip with the Left, the mainstream media has gleefully assumed the role of propagandist and enforcer of liberal causes.

A swipe at Wal-Mart appeared Nov. 23 in The News & Observer of Raleigh in a story “Who will welcome Wal-Mart?” The story reported the planned opening of a Wal-Mart Supercenter in southeast Raleigh. The reporters, of course, adorned their story with a facade of objectivity: Some consumers used as sources said they were glad to see Wal-Mart coming to their area. But consistent through the supposed news story was the trite and unnecessary political theme that the retail giant bullies its employees, forcing taxpayers to subsidize them with government services, such as food stamps and health care.

As long as the media feels it has a duty to protect the public from corporate “greed,” let’s be forthright here: The news industry, on average, pays its employees slave wages, comparatively much lower than Wal-Mart’s. As an editor-in-chief for more than 15 years, I’ve seen the national and regional pay surveys conducted by journalistic organizations and implemented newsroom budgets as dictated by my corporate bosses.

Pay for journalists in the South ranks the lowest in the nation, according to news-industry surveys. As an editor for small papers and mid-level daily newspapers, I sadly recall having to start some reporters straight out of college at wages as low as $250 a week, or $13,000 per year, as recently as four years ago. Adjusted for inflation of about 4 percent per year, the reporters’ pay now would start at about $293 a week, or about $15,210 per year. The pay at weekly newspapers, generally, is even lower. These wages are for college graduates, mind you.

Now, what does mean old Wal-Mart pay? On average about $21,000 per year. And these jobs do not require a college degree.

Granted, the average pay for the average reporter nationally is higher. According to Salary.com (recommended by a Poynter Institute fellow), today, at small and mid-size newspapers the median pay is about $25,000 a year — not much better than a Wal-Mart worker, considering the retail clerk didn’t invest four years of university study and tens of thousands of dollars in educational expenses.

Benefits for both workers are about the same. Hours worked by both workers are comparable. Wal-Mart employees at Supercenters work all hours of the day, weekends and holidays, except Christmas. Reporters and editors work all hours of the day, weekends, and holidays — including Christmas.

Most jobs in journalism across the nation are at small and medium-size newspaper — not at metros, where the pay is much better, but when compared with other industries still not up to par. Many young journalists suffer their low-paying jobs because they hope one day they will make it to the big time. Most don’t, move from newspaper to newspaper, or stay poor and bitter, or move into other careers — possibly into retail.

So, when playing the blame game, who’s fooling whom? How many journalists are taxpayers subsidizing? Retail jobs aren’t known for bringing fame or fortune. Neither is journalism, although many in the media think they’ve achieved stardom because their names appear in print.
But at some point journalists need to look in the mirror. They’re members of an industry that’s no better than Wal-Mart, perhaps worse in many respects. If they’re fortunate enough to work for a high-paying metro newspaper or network, isn’t it time they start doing more for their suffering colleagues? Let’s see a few stories criticizing the lack of competition among the media and the poor treatment of its industry’s employees. Or let’s stop the hypocrisy, and leave Wal-Mart alone.

Richard Wagner is the editor of Carolina Journal.