Oral Presentation by Anabel Cossette Civitella¹, Samuel Lamoureux²
¹ Université de Sherbrooke, Canada ² Université TÉLUQ, Canada
TIME: Wednesday, 15 July, 14:30 – 16:00
Location: Room 3
Session: 15
Abstract
In recent decades, the media sector has entered a polycrisis marked by three intertwined trends: the collapse of traditional media revenues due to the rise of digital platforms, the decline of distribution income as audiences become increasingly fragmented, and the erosion of journalistic authority amid growing public distrust, which has even led to hostility and violence toward journalists. This crisis has led to a deterioration in working conditions for journalists, but more specifically for freelance journalists (FJ). For them, it translates into very low rates, a virtual inability to negotiate, a lack of protection against financial risks, and a lack of support at work, risk factors that affect journalists’ mental health. As a result, many freelancers choose to make sacrifices in their practice to survive, such as taking on public relations assignments. In Quebec (Canada), 59% of freelance journalists also have another job. Given that freelance journalists are known to be the most precarious of all information workers, we ask the following question: what motivates freelance journalists to persevere in this profession, which poses such a high risk to their mental health? Inspired by literature in management and organizational psychology, we demonstrate that this polycrisis produces a series of paradoxes for journalists. We define paradox as the persistent contradiction of interdependent elements. To expose the paradoxical tensions at play, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 Quebec FJ professional association members. These interviews were transcribed and inductively coded. The study highlights three key insights: 1) FJ persist in a psychologically risky profession because they feel a strong vocational calling; 2) this calling is paradoxical, as pursuing “ideal” journalism (e.g., investigative journalism) reduces their income while producing more “pragmatic” work (e.g., public relation) undermines their capacity to uphold journalistic ideals; and 3) this tension generates forms of suffering at both individual and collective levels. Despite the high psychological risks, independent journalists persist in their profession because of a paradoxical vocation that traps them in a system that exploits their dedication. Based on these findings, we argue that the tensions faced by FJ go beyond idiosyncrasies: through the paradoxes of the FJ vocation, a reality shared by more workers, whether self-employed or salaried, becomes clear.