Journalistic Work During a Pandemic: Changing Contexts and Subjective Perceptions

Rick, Jana; Hanitzsch, Thomas

doi:10.1080/17512786.2023.2250760

Cited by 6 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The focus on profit maximization is at the core of the changes to practice, as media owners prioritize profit over ensuring newsrooms are adequately resourced. The concerns have clearly intensified in the aftermath of COVID-19, where the issue of precarity, short-time work and increased workloads have become even more of a concern (Rick and Hanitzsch 2023;Posetti et al 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In their research in Ireland, Hayes and Silke (2018) found that new entrants to freelance journalism were struggling to get paid for their work and were forced to work for free at times, which many did in the hope that it may translate to paid work. Rick and Hanitzsch (2023) concluded that freelance Journalists in particular faced increasing uncertainty due to the pandemic, while Gollmitzer (2023Gollmitzer ( , p. 1024 argued that the growing precarity facing freelance journalists was such that many have to subsidize their income with other workwhich they referred to as "money jobs"-where pay is higher. Realistically that is not sustainable in the long term and will ultimately lead to graduates opting for opportunities elsewhere where there is more stability and better pay and conditions.…”

Section: Precarious Working Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…But there are concerns that adequate resources are not available to address the increased workloads, leading to long working hours and burnout for journalists, many of whom-vastly experienced journalists-leave the industry for better pay and working conditions in other areas of employment (García de Torres et al 2011;Slattery 2022). This is more acutely felt in the wake of COVID-19, as concerns over precarity have intensified following the pandemic (Posetti et al 2020;Rick and Hanitzsch 2023). Rick and Hanitzsch (2023) examined the impact of COVID-19 on working conditions of journalists in Germany and found that the pandemic contributed to the crisis in the industry getting worse than it had been previously.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is more acutely felt in the wake of COVID-19, as concerns over precarity have intensified following the pandemic (Posetti et al 2020;Rick and Hanitzsch 2023). Rick and Hanitzsch (2023) examined the impact of COVID-19 on working conditions of journalists in Germany and found that the pandemic contributed to the crisis in the industry getting worse than it had been previously. They also concluded that journalists working in regional media and freelance journalists were particularly impacted by increased workloads but did not receive any increase in pay.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…6). As resources become more limited, journalists are given fewer opportunities to engage in 'field' reporting and 'desk' journalism becomes more commonplace and this has become even more prevalent since COVID-19 (Rick and Hanitzsch 2023). This potentially affects the quality of content produced.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Impact of Changing Work Practices in Journalism in Ireland

Connolly

2023

Journalism and Media

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Journalists are working in an ever-changing environment (where precarity has become commonplace). Reporters are increasingly required to multi-task, as news has become ubiquitous. This includes writing and editing copy, posting content online and on social media, sourcing images, recording and editing audio and recording pieces to camera: the traditional television, radio and print reporter all rolled into one. Yet, additional duties are not matched by increased pay; in some instances resources have been cut, and management cite reduced advertising revenue as the main reason. This research examined the impact of those changes to work practices on journalists, the media industry, and on wider society in Ireland, where multi-tasking has become more prevalent in the past 10 to 15 years and the pressures faced by journalists have intensified in the aftermath of COVID-19. Twelve journalists working in the media in Ireland were interviewed as part of this research. Their perceptions on the main influences on their work practices were explored. The findings of this research argue that due to the relentless drive for profit maximization, the result is that insufficient time and resources are made available to run newsrooms adequately and this is particularly prevalent in the regional press. This means ‘desk’ journalism is prioritized over ‘field’ reporting, while the battle between accuracy and immediacy is placing journalists under immense pressure and this also affects the quality of content produced and disseminated. Also, there is insufficient focus by media organizations on time intensive journalism i.e., investigative journalism—which potentially impacts everyone’s lives—and this influences how ordinary citizens understand the world around them. This research argues that the ability of journalism to hold the powerful to account is diminishing. Journalism, in its current trajectory, does not fulfil its Fourth Estate or ‘watchdog’ function, and critically, this influences people’s understanding of society, as this research outlines.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%