Last updated August 5, 2025

This unilateral announcement will be in place for one year from the date of acceptance by both The Flytrap Media d/b/a The Flytrap (aka “the Publication”) editorial collective and the National Writers Union - Freelance Solidarity Project (aka “the Union”). At the end of that period, the Publication will re-evaluate the conditions outlined below, and draft a new unilateral announcement with any necessary amendments offered by their freelancers, contract workers, and with the assistance of representatives from the Union. 

For the purposes of this announcement, all parties agree that freelancer is defined as any media worker providing labor and/or services to The Flytrap Media, including but not limited to writers/reporters, editors, photographers, artists, video and/or audio producers, among others. All parties agree that “the Publication” refers to The Flytrap. A contractor is any media worker contributing to the Publication on a mutually agreed-upon ongoing basis. The negotiated rate is the full fee stated by the assigning or accepting member of The Flytrap’s editorial collective, as stated in any contracts or email correspondence related to the freelancers’ assignment or submission.

This unilateral announcement is the product of open discussion and collaboration between The Flytrap’s editorial collective and representatives from the Union, and is intended to define the scope and terms of freelance labor in the course of producing work for the Publication. All freelancers and contractors doing work for The Flytrap shall be provided a link to the unilateral announcement upon pitch acceptance. The announcement will be publicly available on The Flytrap’s website. One year after launching, The Flytrap editorial collective and the Union will invite The Flytrap’s freelancers to meet, review, and revise this unilateral announcement.

Rates

The Flytrap will set clear and equitable base rates and publicize them on their website. Freelancers are free to publicly share these rates and negotiate above them without fear of retaliation.

The Flytrap will commit to reducing pay discrepancies across the industry for people from disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.

All assignments accepted or commissioned will be paid on the graduated schedule outlined in the next section. Upon acceptance of a first draft or product, The Flytrap will issue 50% of the agreed upon rate immediately.

The standard base rates are as follows:

Written pieces will be paid a minimum of $0.50/word. 

For audio and podcast work, producers/editors will be paid a minimum day rate of $400/day.

For illustrations, artists will be paid a minimum of $600.

Roundtable panelists will be paid a minimum of $300. 

Standard rates and other conditions for photographers, video producers and engineers, illustrators, and other media workers will be posted as The Flytrap determines its needs for such freelance services, in collaboration with the Union.

The Flytrap commits to following just cause in the event a contract is terminated before the end of the agreed upon duration. Reasons for just cause termination include but are not limited to: personal dishonesty; gross incompetence; willful misconduct; intentional failure of stated duties; fabrication of sources, quotes or facts; plagiarism; and/or misconduct with sources.

Graduated Fee Schedule

All freelance contributors will be paid 50% of their fee upon acceptance, and receive the remainder of their fee within 30 days of publication.

In the event an assignment of an editorial nature (including but not limited to text, photo, design, video, or audio) is accepted or commissioned but cannot run in The Flytrap as anticipated, The Flytrap will follow the below stated schedule for kill fees:

1. If The Flytrap chooses to kill an assignment:

   1. upon acceptance of a first draft and/or first submission with no edits, or 

   2. after two weeks with no communication from a freelancer regarding edits, or

   3. after a freelancer opts to remove their name from or withdraw a piece after The Flytrap and the freelancer cannot reach a good faith agreement about edits

no additional payment is necessary above the initial 50% already paid.  

2. If The Flytrap chooses to kill an assignment after two or more rounds of revisions, edits, and/or notes have been sent to the freelancer and subsequently returned to the editor for further review: an additional payment of 25% of the agreed upon rate (freelancer receives 75% of the agreed upon rate).

3. In the event an assignment is accepted or commissioned by an editor, and is approved for publication by both the freelancer and the editor, and still does not run: The Flytrap will pay the freelancer 100% of the agreed upon rate.

4. In the event The Flytrap ceases to be operational for any reason, and an assignment has passed the first round of edits, The Flytrap will make best commercial efforts to pay the freelancer 100% of the Fee, provided it has the legal right to do so under applicable bankruptcy or receivership laws, if any.

Reporting Costs & Incidental Expenses

The Flytrap will set clear procedures for reimbursements of any/all expenses incurred in the editorial process. Upon assignment, the assigning editor will provide the freelancer with those procedures via email.

The Flytrap and the freelancer will agree upon major reporting expenses upon assignment. The Flytrap will pay via pre-paid Visa or other card for any agreed-upon expenses in excess of $50, including travel/accommodations booked for the purposes of fulfilling a freelancer’s accepted assignment, in full and in advance of the scheduled trip.

Any incidental expenses incurred in the process of the work done by the freelancer will be reimbursed as per The Flytrap’s stated policy, within 30 days of submission. 

Intellectual Property

The Flytrap agrees that each accepted submission or assignment is the sole property of the freelancer.

The sale of the submission entitles The Flytrap to a 90-day exclusive worldwide right to publish, distribute, display, and otherwise use the Article in print and on its website (and in any current future platforms on which the issue in which the Article is published may appear) each Article we accept, and to include each such Article in any anthology, retrospective or other compilation of The Flytrap published material. All such rights will be exclusive for 90 days from the date of first publication and non-exclusive thereafter.

If The Flytrap receives a request to sell or lease the submission to another publication (for the purposes of, but not limited to, a medium such as an anthology, retrospective, or similar printed and/or digital collection) The Flytrap will make their best faith effort to notify the freelancer immediately with at least two notices in writing, preferably by email, to reach a mutual decision to make the sale or approve the leasing rights. If the freelancer does not respond within ten days of the second email or by a deadline clearly stated in the emails, The Flytrap has the right to make a decision on their behalf.

The freelancer retains the right to republish the work after 90 days of the date of publication. If the freelancer has the opportunity to sell, lease, reissue, or otherwise use the material first published by The Flytrap in another medium, including but not limited to film, audio, or television production, they retain the right to do so as per their own discretion and with original credits and acknowledgements given to The Flytrap.

In the event an accepted assignment is killed by The Flytrap at any stage of the editorial process after the freelancer’s first submission, the intellectual property is released back to the freelancer.

Pitching, Assigning, Editing, and Publishing Process

The Flytrap shall maintain a commitment to promoting diversity and equity among its contributors and sources. The Flytrap shall provide an optional demographic survey to all freelancers who pitch the Flytrap for the purpose of collecting data on rejected and accepted pieces. Every year in our annual report, we will publicly share anonymized, aggregate information on the site that includes geographic, racial/ethnicity and gender of contributors.

All pitching and submissions guidelines will be clearly detailed and made public on The Flytrap website. Contact information for the editorial collective will be made public, with instructions on where to direct freelancer pitches.

An assignment from The Flytrap editor, or a submission from a freelancer, is considered accepted upon email confirmation from the editor on the story. Freelancers will be issued a contract as soon as possible following email correspondence, and the first installment of payment will be issued as per the stated rate schedule above.

After an assignment has been accepted, editors shall formally notify the freelancer of the acceptance or rejection of subsequent drafts/submissions within two weeks.

When a freelancer proposes an idea for an article that has not previously come to the attention of The Flytrap, the editors will not assign a story based on that proposal to someone else without permission from the proposer and payment of a mutually agreed-upon fee between the editor and original proposer. However, this will not apply to ideas that are in The Flytrap’s general domain. Nothing in this announcement shall prevent The Flytrap from assigning an article based on a similar proposal subsequently (and without prompting from the editors) submitted by another freelancer. The Flytrap will have a commitment from management and editors that freelance-generated ideas are not given to others in the editorial team.

The Flytrap may commission research on a potential story from a freelancer before an assignment has been given. This work will be compensated at a flat rate set between the editor and the freelancer. This does not apply to freelancers being asked to refine pitches already in process.

The Flytrap editorial collective will provide the freelancer a final version of their work before publication for final review. The freelancer will have the right to make changes of any nature, within reason, before printing commences and/or publication occurs.

In the event that the freelancer and The Flytrap editorial collective cannot reach an agreement in good faith about a change in the editorial work before publication, the freelancer retains the right to remove their name from said work or withdraw the piece.

The Flytrap reserves the right to make any final, minor copy edits before printing during the proofing process. The Flytrap commits to making no substantive edits to a freelancer’s work without first notifying the freelancer of the change and confirming their approval in writing.

A credit line suitable to the design of the project will be used wherever visual contributions appear (including but not limited to web, print, and social media). If suitable, in addition to the freelancer’s name, the credit line will include links to either the freelancer’s website or social media page.

The Flytrap shall provide a freelance contributor workflow to learn more about the editorial process and mutual responsibilities.

Use of Generative AI     

For the purposes of this Unilateral Announcement, we consider "generative AI" systems to refer to a variety of machine learning models and applications that can generate text, images, audio, code, and other types of content. This includes systems like ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Microsoft Copilot, Midjourney, Firefly, Stable Diffusion, Lex, Sudowrite, and more. It does not include things like Grammarly, or other grammar and spell checking systems, automated transcription systems like Trint, or Google Search AI Overviews that publishers and writers cannot control. 

All rights to use for “artificial intelligence,” construction of large language models, or text and data mining of works created or licensed pursuant to this contract are reserved by the contributor, regardless of whether these works are considered to be works made for hire. No such use may be made or licensed by The Flytrap except by separate written agreement between The Flytrap and the contributor. Any rate previously agreed to for work does not include licensing for AI use. Should The Flytrap wish to license the contributor’s work for the use in AI, both parties must enter into a new agreement covering those licensing rights, and negotiate an additional fee.

The Flytrap affirms that it will never ask freelancers to use generative AI tools, assign AI generated content to workers to work with or edit, or publish their work alongside AI-generated media elements (including but not limited to text, artwork, translations, and audio readers). The contributor certifies that their submitted work is the product of their independent efforts and human skill and was not aided by any generative AI system. If either The Flytrap or the contributor is in doubt over whether an algorithmic system might violate this agreement, the party in question will communicate with the other and the two sides will come to a mutual decision. The Flytrap will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against any employee who declines to work with AI generated content.

The contributor does not consent to inclusion of their work, in whole or in part, as part of any third party licensing agreement outside the scope of this agreement, including but not limited to use as training data for generative AI systems, without prior written consent from the contributor obtained at least 90 days before signing of such agreement between The Flytrap and any third party. 

The Flytrap affirms that it will make all reasonable attempts to ensure that the contributor’s work is not used by AI without the contributor’s consent and remuneration — including but not limited to: not entering any deals with AI companies; following best practices specified by the TDMREP protocol; and properly encrypting files stored in digital formats or in "the cloud" from being used for training for third parties.

The Flytrap also affirms that it will not utilize any recording or performance of contributor to simulate contributor’s voice or likeness, or to create any synthesized or “digital double” voice or likeness. If The Flytrap desires to use a system that uses AI for vocal repair (such as Descript) The Flytrap must get express permission from the contributor to do so.

In the event that The Flytrap learns that any work created or licensed under this agreement has been used to train a generative AI system, The Flytrap certifies that it will inform all contributors whose work has been used of that fact within 30 days, including a plan for how The Flytrap plans to address the issue, whether they will seek compensation for the infringement of the contributors’ and The Flytrap’s rights, and how they will prevent such uses in the future. Should The Flytrap choose to engage in legal remedy for AI related infringement, they will inform contributors and offer them the opportunity to be a party to that action.

Resources

The Flytrap will provide a one-year “Friends of the Flytrap” subscription to all freelancers with work on the site.

The Flytrap will detail what, if any, subscription-only database services, publications, and resources the publication has access to, and make them available to freelancers upon request.

Safety and Legal Protections

The Flytrap will indemnify and defend a freelancer against any third-party claim arising out of any article published, distributed, or assigned and any newsgathering related thereto unless such claims arise out of the freelancer’s breach of representation, warranty, or obligation under their contract. Such indemnification will include all losses, costs, and expenses, including reasonable attorney’s fees, damages, and recoveries. The Flytrap will do this if the freelancer agrees to cooperate with The Flytrap and its parent and affiliated entities, and their members, shareholders, directors, officers, employees, representatives, and agents from and against any actions, claims, demands, liabilities, expenses, and costs, including reasonable attorney’s fees, arising out of any such third-party claim.

The Flytrap will set clear safety and legal protections for freelancers, both abroad and at home, and inform freelancers of those policies upon onboarding.

If an assignment involves heightened safety and security concerns, these shall be discussed at the time of assigning.

The organization will provide complimentary safety training and PPE as needed, and will be rigorous in providing support before an assignment, while in the field, and after an assignment.

The Flytrap will commit to providing a work experience for freelancers that is free of harassment and discrimination.

In the event a freelancer experiences physical and/or psychological harm, harassment, discrimination, or abuse of any nature in their course of work for The Flytrap, the publication agrees to resolve the dispute through the below stated Union grievance procedure.

Grievance Procedure With the Union

The Flytrap will make every effort to work out any freelancer grievances on an informal basis.

If The Flytrap cannot work out a freelancer’s grievances on an informal basis and if that freelancer designates a representative of the Union to meet with the publication in an attempt to work out the grievance on the freelancer’s behalf, the process shall be as follows:

(a) Before filing a grievance, the aggrieved freelancer and/or Union representative will present the grievance to the freelancer’s assignment editor to try to resolve the matter without formal proceedings.

(b) If step (a) is unsuccessful, the Union shall submit the grievance in writing to the Board of The Flytrap (Chrissy Stroop, Evette Dionne, and s.e. smith, via board at theflytrapmedia dot com).

(c) If there is no resolution within two weeks of step (b), there shall be a conciliation conference including the Union representative, the freelancer, if possible, and the Editor or their designated representative. The Flytrap shall provide a response to the grievance within three weeks of the conference.

If the Union and The Flytrap cannot resolve the grievance, a board shall be convened consisting of one representative of the Union, one of The Flytrap, and one member acceptable to both parties. The third member shall receive no compensation from either side for participation in this board. A majority opinion by the board shall be accepted by both parties.

Freelancer Contracts

The Flytrap will allow the Union to review and suggest changes to their standard freelancer contract.

If The Flytrap considers making any edits or changes to their standard freelancer agreement, they will notify Union prior to implementing the edits or changes and meet with representatives to discuss.

Notification and Communication

Freelancers/contractors will be provided with a copy of this letter upon agreement of assignment, along with a letter from the Union.

Once a month, the Union can request and will be provided with a list of names of all freelancers/contractors working for The Flytrap.

Once a year, the Union can request and will be provided with a comprehensive demographic survey of all freelancers/contractors working for The Flytrap.

If any freelancer/contractor requests information about Union, or to speak with an Union representative, The Flytrap will immediately notify a member of the Freelance Solidarity Project organizing committee and/or a designated member of the Union.

Future Unilateral Announcements

On August 5, 2026, a representative from the Union will contact The Flytrap editorial collective and a group of The Flytrap freelancers to set up a meeting for reviews and revisions to this announcement.

The Flytrap worked with the Freelance Solidarity Project of the National Writers Union to create a standard contract and Unilateral Announcement to promote fair practices for freelance writers, photographers, illustrators, and artists. We encourage freelancers to join the Freelance Solidarity Project to share resources, tools, and information (including rates) with fellow freelance digital media workers.