Work on the cheap

We've all heard about and decry sweat shop labor (that's 'labour' for my UK friends) but the current economic climate now seems to be plundering the skills of trained professionals too.
The plethora of websites offering employment opportunities seems to increasingly be featuring positions where people are being asked to work for nothing, or close to it.
I've been a professional actor (trained at a top UK drama school, member of the Screen Actors Guild etc) for almost ten years now, and am well used to being asked to work for nothing but a credit and a free copy of a film (which usually never arrives) or to sweat blood in some dank, dark fringe theatre for the sake of my art. OK fine, I accept the artist's struggle to a certain extent.
But prior to succumbing to the bright lights, I was an award winning journalist of 20 years standing. Now I'm hunting up freelance work in this field I'm appalled to see so many jobs advertised with no or low pay - and when I say low I'm talking $5 or $10for a film review, and one post recently even had the cheek to offer $1.
On the subscription based website ifreelance.com you can bid for jobs. Of course, you can't see what anyone else has bid, but a guideline is offered within which you offer your services. If the bidding guide is under $250, you can be sure someone eager to gain experience or see their name in print is offering to do the job for $50 or even less, for jobs that could take days of research and writing.
And don't get me started on Craigs List, where you have to weave your way through the minefield of postings like "writer with acting experience, female preferred" or "wanted, reviewers of adult film material".
I'm all for enterprise, but what I'm not for is the devaluing of people who may have years of skilled experience by companies and individuals happy to exploit the current economic crisis and the rising number of jobless.