Et ædelt fag under stigende pres?

Udviklingen i journalisternes professionelle idealer og deres opfattelser af det daglige arbejde som journalist 2009-2015

Abstract

The media industry is under pressure, the shortcomings of journalism are being addressed in many submissions in the debate, and many journalists themselves believe that the quality of journalism has deteriorated over recent years. One gets the impression of a profession in decline. Often, however, the pessimism is based on retrospective assessments, which can be problematic. Via two questionnaire surveys among a representative sample of Danish journalists – one from 2009 and one from 2015 – we show that in 2015 the journalists do not experience more influence from competition or reader/viewer/listener/user numbers than in 2009. And although the journalists experience more influence from deadlines and the media's editorial line, the professional ideals are stable. The results are not in themselves a rejection of a profession under pressure, but they point to the journalistic profession being more resilient than it is often portrayed in the public debate.