Ross Perlin is the author of Intern Nation: How to Earn Nothing and Learn Little in the Brave New Economy (2012), from which this article is adapted. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian (UK), the Washington Post, and Time magazine, among other publications. In an interview with Academe Blog, Perlin suggested, “For interns who are already saddled with college debt, unpaid internships can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, forcing young people to go still deeper into debt.” This article explores the structure of internships at Disney and the problems they pose for students and colleges. Since its publication, Perlin’s book has influenced three large and very visible class-action lawsuits on behalf of interns against Fox Entertainment Group, Hearst Corporation, and Charlie Rose, Inc.

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