Changing journalists’ occupations: An analysis of Australian Census 2021

Abstract

The crisis in the news industry is affecting journalism as a profession. There are concerns about the increasing precarity of the job, with fewer opportunities of full-time employment and a clear career path. Through an analysis of the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census 2021 data, this study examines the current state of journalists’ occupation. Since 2011, there was an overall decline (19 per cent) in the number of journalists in Australia. The largest reduction occurred in print media, where the number of journalists halved. In contrast, the number of ‘journalists not further defined’ increased by 39 per cent. This category reflects the increase in the number of journalists who would not typically be working in a traditional journalism role. Workers in these categories of ‘not further defined’ and ‘not elsewhere classified’ earn less, are younger and are less likely to be employed full-time. Overall, the data reveal that many journalists in 2021 are facing precarious work arrangements.