If an intern does _any_ usable work, they are, by federal law, required to be paid.

True unpaid interns aren't employees, as they should be purely learning. hawkharris said he was writing articles; that's not just learning.

Speaking from a lot of experience, they're often treated as such.

Employees are not the only people that companies write checks to.

If they get a W-2 they are employees; maybe not full-time.