Thursday, March 16, 2023

'Misinformation' Concerns Journalists The Most


Journalists list disinformation and lack of funding as their biggest worries, and some fret about safety, judging by "The State of Journalism 2023," reports MediaPost citing a new study by Muck Rack.

Specifically, they are concerned about these issues:

  • Disinformation—50%
  • Lack of funding—50%
  • Trust in journalism/media—40%
  • Lack of tie to cover stories thoughtfully—33%
  • Lack of independence in news media—32%
  • Politicization and polarization of journalism—32%
  • News and media literacy—31%
  • Decreasing readership—31%
  • Journalist safety—30%
  • Competing for audience attention against too many other stories—30%

In addition, two thirds say their work has been affected by economic uncertainty. They say:

  • Economic uncertainty has not affected my reporting—33%
  • I’ve switched jobs or made a career change—22%
  • Layoffs/furloughs at my outlets (s) have increased 21%
  • More stories about the economy—21%
  • Personal layoff(s) have meant less work in general—18%
  • Less news to cover as companies postpone new releases—9%

Despite all this, 58% of journalists are optimistic about the profession. And 79% feel audience trust in their coverage has increased or stayed the same. 

Millennials and Gen Z are now the biggest target audiences for journalists. Asked to check off all that apply, the respondents listed:

  • Gen Z—41%
  • Millennial—57%
  • Gen X—52%
  • Boomer—43%
  • I don’t know—17%
  • Other—15%

Muck Rack surveyed 2,226 journalists worldwide from Jan. 4 to Feb. 6. Of those polled, 46% report both online and in print, and 34% online only. Only 6% report primarily in print, 5% on TV, 3% on radio, 1% in video. And 3% say other. The full study can be accessed here.

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