Matthew Powers, University of Washington – Why Would Anyone Still Want To Be A Journalist?

Not all careers are what they used to be.

Matthew Powers, associate professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington in Seattle, explores one vocation and why some are still called to do it.

Matthew Powers is associate professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he co-directs the Center for Journalism, Media and Democracy. With Sandra Vera-Zambrano, he is the author of The Journalist’s Predicament: Difficult Choices in a Declining Profession.

Why Would Anyone Still Want To Be A Journalist?

Why would anyone still want to be a journalist? The pay is low. The career prospects are uncertain. Many people ignore news altogether.  

With a colleague, I’ve sought to answer this question by studying journalists’ careers in France and the United States. Not the famous ones employed at well-known national media. Reporters and editors working in towns and cities, who make up the bulk of the profession and whose existence is most threatened.

We found people attracted to journalism because it’s a job that is interesting and socially beneficial. A life in news, they say, provides opportunities for expression, a sense of self-fulfillment and a connection to broader social values like exposing injustice.

The challenges confronting the industry, though, mean that few can do work that resembles these ideals. Most spend their days churning out content for websites and social media. They report on topics that aim to amuse and entertain rather than inform or provoke thought. 

Given this reality, it’s unsurprising that so many exit the profession – or avoid a career in it entirely.

What is surprising, is that many people find journalism appealing despite these conditions. This persistence is not naïve. Journalists know the problems that plague their profession. Their willingness to sacrifice better pay and greater job security highlights how much value they attach to work.

At some point, it’s possible that journalism will cease being attractive. For now, the more likely development is difficulty making a career in news work. That’s a problem for citizens who want news that keeps them informed. It’s also reflection of societies unable to satisfy citizens’ desires to secure meaningful work.