View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

DMGT singled out for late payment of freelances

By Paul McNally

The Daily Mail and General Trust has been named as one of the worst companies in the UK for paying invoices on time – with contributors waiting an average of 10 weeks to receive their money.

A new study has ranked the Daily Mail and Evening Standard publisher as the nineth worst FTSE 250 company – and the worst media company – in a league table naming and shaming late payers.

The report by the Credit Management Research Centre at Leeds University found that the average invoice to a publicly quoted company takes 44 days to be paid.

DMGT – which owns regional newspaper publisher Northcliffe and nationals division Associated – took 68 days to pay its suppliers, according to the report.

The best media companies for prompt payment were Reuters – which generally paid up within 13 days – and Emap, which cleared payments in 11 days.

Under European late payment law, freelance journalists are eligible to compensation and interest on invoices not paid after 30 days, unless alternative payment terms are agreed beforehand.

Trinity Mirror and Financial Times publisher Pearson typically paid after 31 days, the report found.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

The study, due to be published in full on Thursday, is based on the annual reports of every publicly listed company in the UK.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network