Labouring the news: an exploration of working conditions in journalism

This thesis is a study of working conditions and increasing precarity in journalism. Exploring the working conditions of journalists matters, not only for journalists, but because of the societal value of the work they produce. This research builds on the emerging body of work in journalism scholarship that places labour at its core, treating journalism as work and journalists as workers. The research approach is informed by concepts drawn from labour process theory; an important Marxist approach in the study of relations of production in industrial capitalism. This study of the lived experiences of journalists’ working conditions explores increasing precarity in journalism along with the broader managerial control strategies shaping the labour process. Moreover, it seeks to establish if precariousness constrains the ability of journalism to fulfil its most important function: to question and challenge power. The findings are based on interviews with 40 journalists, working in print, online and broadcast media and an empirical case study of a local newspaper in the Republic of Ireland, a small media market and one of the most concentrated of any democracy. The research pays particular attention to journalists’ job prospects including their contractual status and job security, their work intensity including the pace and emotional demands of work, their working time, and their skills use. Overall, this study contributes new insights into the working conditions of journalists, exploring precarious terms of employment for the expanding freelance workforce alongside deteriorating working conditions for staff journalists who also endure the effects of organisational cost cutting and productivity pressures in news media.