Was the BBC right to skewer Modus Publicity for using interns?
“There but for the grace of God go I,” was no doubt the thought that went through the head of many a PR, film production or marketing services boss operating in the more glamorous side of the profession, when they watched the public skewering of Modus Publicity on the BBC earlier this week.
The fashion PR business thought they were participating in a BBC documentary on social class. Instead director Julian Vogel received a prime-time grilling on the agency's intern policy.
If it wasn't for the fact that this was a PR agency, which should have known better, one could have almost felt sorry for him – such was the unrelentingly searching questions from reporter Richard Bilton.
He demanded to know how Vogel could justify employing 20 staff working as unpaid interns.
'I feel I've been stuffed by the BBC,' Vogel told trade title PRWeek, but added: 'We are looking at our internship policy. Do we have fewer interns and pay them more? That's something we're looking at.'
Vogel defended the use of interns as best he could effectively saying at least it gave them a start in a competitive profession and invaluable experience.
But not everyone agrees arguing that far from opening up career opportunities, unpaid internships restricted access to those able to afford to do such unpaid work.
Public Relations Consultants Association chief Francis Ingham was reported as saying: 'The issue with internships in the industry is a difficult one to talk about sensibly. In an ideal world everyone would be paid at least the minimum wage but I recognise that doesn't happen and it's some way off from happening.'
However, with more people graduating than ever before, and less jobs available than at any time, the companies The Drum spoke to believe internships will be a fact of life for the foreseeable future. But there are limits – and when their numbers grow to around 20 you might have reached them.