Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 2021.
Last week, “Saturday Night Live” returned to the studio with a live audience. And many of its members were paid to attend.
A recent Times article explained:
Based on the guidelines around pandemic-era media production that were released by the state, television shows are not allowed to host live audiences unless they consist of paid employees, cast and crew.
Sean Ludwig, who attended the “S.N.L.” season premiere over the weekend, said that he and seven friends who had gone with him each received a check for $150 from Universal Television, a division of NBC’s parent company, when the show was over.
What do you think about these new guidelines? Is paying audience members a clever workaround of restrictive polices? Or does it incentivize potentially risky behavior? Would you feel comfortable sitting in an indoor TV taping? Would the promise of money make you reconsider?
Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more about S.N.L.’s return.
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Students 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
