One in five journalists have switched jobs or made a career change as a result of the current economy, according to newly published “State of Journalism” report from Muck Rack, a public relations management platform for the media industry.
In a survey of more than 2,200 journalists, 20% of respondents reported shouldering a heavier workload as a result of layoffs and furloughs at their places of employment.
The journalists were also asked about the main challenges facing their profession, and half of the respondents identified the spread of disinformation and a lack of funding as their top concerns, followed by trust in journalism (40%) and lack of time for covering stories (33%). Slightly more than half acknowledged making $70,000 or less a year.
“With the industry facing issues like wavering trust in the media, threats to free press and lack of funding, it’s hard to recall a more challenging time for journalism,” said Gregory Galant, cofounder and CEO of Muck Rack. “This survey sheds light on the deep responsibility journalists have to deliver news and information to the public and how they”™re managing it with limited resources.”
