Danger Money

The Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia is a fascinating project that continues to enthrall despite the fact it has been open for nearly 87 years now. To see it and to experience it is to enjoy what remains one of the tallest and widest structures in existence. Hundreds of thousands vehicles per day take advantage of it as a matter of fact. Building such a structure, of course, was quite an undertaking and undertaken with a great deal of risk. During the nine years it took to build the bridge, hundreds of brave souls risked their lives each day. Many, in fact, were paid want was called "danger money" because of the danger that came with doing this job.

This compensation represented extra pay because the work these people did was recognized by their employees as being extra risky. As one who has had the fun recently of climbing the bridge, I have developed a small appreciation of the dangerous job those workers performed. Without question, I could never have done it. Walking to the top of the bridge - under the watchful eye of a well-trained guide - got me to thinking if there was any equivalency in the communication profession of one being eligible for "danger money." If I were an employee, would I be willing to pay my communicator extra cash for facing danger on the job?

Short of working with the media or general public in, say, a combat-type zone, there is no exact example of a communicator literally putting their life on the line while doing their job. However, this is not to say some communicators do not take consequential risk. For instance, there are those who risk their professional reputations each day based on how well they adhere to truth in what and how they communicate. A spokesperson for a high public office or military operation is one such person. So, too, are members of the media. If they lie or get things wrong, the impact could bring great harm to those receiving their messages. Truth has power and consequence. Tampering with it brings great risk.