The adult entertainer, content creator, influencer and industry activist speaks of an all-too common plight that sex workers face: “It’s not uncommon for performers to receive multiple messages every month from outsiders to the industry requesting a ‘media interview’ or assistance with a ‘research project’”, writes Alex in the just-published article.

“These inquiries are more often than not submitted by students writing a paper, or journalists casting their net for a contemporary story. Intentional or not, their underlying purpose is the same: sourcing free labour for their project… a certain amount of free labour is necessary for exposure, but it shouldn’t be the norm.”

The British Columbia, Canada-based talent notes that interested journalists contact her frequently for sound bites and her unique perspective as a performer who not only battles a long-term disability (ulcerative colitis) but a frequently busy schedule that prohibits her from expending too many hours in a day accommodating professional requests from inquisitive journalists outside of the business.

“Moving forward, I hope to see more sex workers in positions of power, controlling their own narratives in the media… sex workers already live in the margins of society, and this is often compounded by gender, race, and disability.

“We are not paid for the hours that we spend on networking, marketing, promotion, and administration among other tasks. In the future, I hope media outlets across all platforms will reflect on these points before asking sex workers to volunteer their time.

To read the article in full, visit MelRoseMichaels.com/post/media-sex-work-your-time-is-valuable.

For more info about GoAskAlex, go to GoAskAlexOnline.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.