The report of the Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS3) “Journalism under Duress” is now available open access. Based on responses from over 32,000 journalists in 75 countries, the report examines how journalists worldwide are dealing with risks, uncertainties, and changes in today’s rapidly evolving media landscape.
Research teams conducted representative surveys of journalists in their respective countries using a jointly developed questionnaire. The teams focused on journalist safety, editorial freedom, professional roles, influences on news, and working conditions.
The HBI, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Wiebke Loosen, was responsible for the German sub-study, “Journalism under Duress”.
Findings
- Just under half of the journalists surveyed identified as female, with women forming the numerical majority in 30 countries.
- Journalists in the Global North tend to be older and have more professional experience than their colleagues in the Global South.
- While most journalists have full-time contracts, more than a quarter work as freelancers or part-time employees.
- Journalists around the world are generally underpaid. Salaries are often around the national average, prompting nearly one-third of journalists to seek a second source of income.
- The most common threats to journalists are psychological and digital, and they occur more frequently in the Global South than in the Global North.
- European countries are perceived as having the most editorial independence and media freedom, while countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East show greater variation.
- The findings show that there are evident regional differences in the perceived influence on news production. In North Macedonia, Chile, and the Philippines, ethics is considered the most influential force. Meanwhile, media regulation is significant in Zambia, North Macedonia, Sierra Leone, and South Africa. Ownership structures and profit expectations, on the other hand, are considered the least influential in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and parts of Europe.
- These patterns reflect the influence of political and media systems on journalistic roles at the country level. Journalists in authoritarian regimes tend to value collaborative roles more, while those in transitional democracies emphasize interventionist functions.
- A clear divide emerged regarding advertising journalism disguised as news. Most journalists in Europe and North America rejected it outright, while greater tolerance was observed in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. This reflects the different economic constraints on the media in these regions.
- Rapid digital changes in journalism have transformed editorial workflows and placed new demands on journalists. They are now expected to have multimedia skills and work under accelerated production deadlines.
- Most journalists knew on which platforms their work would appear. Websites were the most common distribution channel, followed by social media and print media. This underscores the central importance of digital platforms as well as the continuing relevance of traditional platforms.
The global cooperation in journalism research was supported by UNESCO, Reporters Without Borders, the International Federation of Journalists, and others. This study series is an important source of information for media, research, and political stakeholders (see www.worldsofjournalism.org for more information).
Downloads
Click here for the full report. The findings for Germany can be found in the report on pp. 157-160. Additionally, the findings of the German sub-study were summarized in a video and published as a working paper (both in German).