The Journalist’s Predicament: what keeps journalists going against the odds?

Low pay. Uncertain work prospects. Diminished prestige. Why would anyone still want be a journalist?

That’s the premise of a book that dives deep into the problems faced by journalists in various fields across the world. It’s an important topic and a good read that tackles big problems head on, mixing candid interviews and wholesome moments with tough career changes. But, at the end of it, I’m not really sure who the book is aimed at.

The story of a profession under threat

The fact that journalism is in trouble should be no surprise to anyone. It’s not just the constant stream of layoffs and the repeated attacks of moguls and authoritarian states — it’s not even AI. It’s everything. Journalism is facing an existential crisis and increasingly, people seem less and less inclined to support it.

You could probably write another book on why that happens (and indeed several books on that have been written), but ultimately, journalism is in trouble. If you don’t care about that — well, you should. Journalism and a free press are crucial for a functional democracy. The decline of journalism weakens communities and allows disinformation to flourish. Sure, not all journalism is good. You can argue that a lot of journalism is bad, but journalism as a whole has been proven to be good for democracy.

But The Journalist’s Predicament looks less at journalism as a whole, and more at journalists — the people behind it all. The book does an excellent job at highlighting how these people, often forgotten in the discussion about the struggling industry, go on with their work.

This is one of the aspects in which The Journalists’s Predicament really shines: people often talk about not seeing the forest for the trees, but in the case of journalism, we tend to ignore the trees for the forests. The book manages to address systemic problems by looking at them through a personal lens. It features a lengthy series of interviews with journalists from the US and France, focusing on their personal woes, goals, and expectations.

Self-fulfillment doesn’t pay the rent

The people who went in, often out of passion, found themselves working in a landscape they don’t recognize anymore. The economic constraints of journalism are often at odds with people’s desires to tell important (but less popular) stories. Journalists find themselves doing more and more non-journalistic work, like social media or video production. They find themselves having to take a second, part-time job because they can’t support themselves and their families. Even the dreamers (and journalism has its fair share of dreamers) find it hard to pursue their passion in this landscape. As the book highlights, no matter where you look, journalists are squeezed from all directions.

Most people nowadays don’t really go into journalism for the money — because it’s not a very lucrative business. That’s not to say that no journalist is well-paid, but for the most part, the financials are not amazing. Rather, people go into journalism because it’s an interesting job that offers a sense of self-fulfillment.

There’s something romantic about holding the powerful to account and revealing hidden realities for society.

“I am happy when I reveal something hidden,” one interviewed journalist said. “I got the information that nobody else had — for me, that’s what journalist is,” quipped another.

There’s also something rewarding about being able to understand and distill complex topics to your readers. At least that’s what journalists expect when they start working. But as a large part of the interviews show, the practical experiences are often more disappointing and frustrating.

Yet again, this boils down to finances. Newspapers and magazines need to sell to be able to make money. But people often don’t want to buy the important stories. What this says about our society is a bit concerning but this is not the point here. The point is that this puts a lot of pressure on journalists and deters them from fulfilling their desired mission. This also adds a lot of stress and uncertainty regarding job security.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of people are leaving journalism for all these reasons. Bad pay, uncertainty, society hates your industry — it’s hard to justify staying in journalism, if anything.

“I wanted to be there for my kids,” said one journalist on leaving the industry. Many journalists reported missing out on their family events, in addition to all the financial woes.

What keeps journalists going

The authors should know a thing or two about the struggling industry. Matthew Powers is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he codirects the Center for Journalism, Media, and Democracy. Sandra Vera-Zambrano is a member of the National Research System and coordinates both the PhD program in communication and La Revista Iberoamericana at Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City.

This union of academia and practical journalism makes for a multifaceted approach that fits well with the complex problems faced by journalism. Ultimately, the book strives to find out what keeps journalists going in the face of all these serious obstacles — and it does a good job at that.

Based on nearly a decade of comparative research amidst a diverse and varied industry, Powers and Vera-Zambrano find the common threads that keep journalists going in the face of adversity.

However, by the end of it, I found myself wondering who the book is really aimed at. As someone working in journalism and interested in the state of the industry and my peers, I was largely familiar with many of the problems discussed (although it was refreshing to see candid interviews of people going through the same things as myself). I’m not sure if someone without any connection to journalism will find it all that relevant.

I would hope policymakers or funders of journalism read the book to better understand what journalists are facing. But that’s probably too optimistic. However, while I’m not sure who the book is aimed at, I do hope people do end up reading it and get a better feel for what modern journalism entails. Through their interviews, Powers and Vera-Zambrano uncover stories of resilience, where journalists navigate the precarious balance between personal sacrifice and professional duty.

The Journalist’s Predicament does not offer easy solutions or sugarcoat the challenges. Instead, it presents a realistic portrayal of the journalistic landscape. It acknowledges the harsh realities while also shining a light on the hope that continues to drive the profession forward. It’s a rallying call to support and protect journalism, emphasizing the critical role it plays in society.