Job precariousness in journalism: dimensions and predicting factors

Abstract

Introduction: The concept of job precariousness has been used mainly since the 1980s to talk about the international phenomenon of job deterioration characterized mainly by the instability and social insecurity of employment and the labor vulnerability of the worker. There is a consensus in the literature about the multidimensional and transversal nature of precarious work. The following four key components have been considered: temporal, organizational, economic and social. Different trends in working conditions have led to the claim that employment in journalism is becoming more precarious. Methodology: In order to find out the level of job precariousness and its dimensions in journalistic employment and to understand what sociodemographic, labor and organizational factors predict it, the authors carried out Kruskal-Wallis tests and an ordinal logistic regression analysis on data from the Worlds of Journalism Study-3 survey in Mexico. Results: For the most part, most of the journalists were at a medium level of precariousness. The most common dimension of precariousness was the organizational one, indicated by a workload that was either too low or too high. Discussion and conclusions: The atypical and informal work modalities undertaken by the media to reduce payroll expenses translate into higher levels of precarious work for journalists. Being a woman, doing freelance work, and working in a digital or local medium are factors that are related to higher levels of precariousness.