penny-a-liner

A penny-a-liner was a hack writer paid by the line, typically producing sensational or low-quality copy for newspapers and periodicals.

The term dates from the nineteenth century when such writers literally earned a penny per line of published text.

It carries strong connotations of writing that prioritizes quantity over quality, padding material to increase payment.

The editor dismissed the report as the work of some penny-a-liner desperate to fill column inches.