Working conditions for journalists in Colombia
Condiciones laborales de los periodistas en Colombia
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January-June of 2025
ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978
How to cite this article:
García Ramírez, D.; Morales Valencia, P. and Parra Castellanos, O. (2025). Working conditions of journalists in Colombia.
Doxa Comunicación
,
40, pp. 385-407.
https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n40a2727
Diego García Ramírez.
Professor on the Journalism program at the School of Human Sciences of Universidad del
Rosario, Colombia. Member of the Applied Ethics, Labor, and Social Change research group at the same institution. PhD
in Communication and Culture from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Master's in Communication from the
Ponticia Universidad Javeriana. Anthropologist from the Universidad de Antioquia. Vice-coordinator of the ematic
Group on Political Economy of Communications of the Latin American Association of Communication Researchers-
ALAIC (2024-2026). Member of the Working Group on Political Economy of Information, Communication, and Culture
of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences - CLACSO.
Universidad del Rosario, Colombia
[email protected]
ORCID:
0000-0002-6173-8047
Paulina Morales Valencia.
BA in Journalism and Public Opinion from Universidad del Rosario. Young researcher at
Universidad del Rosario 2023-2024. Five years of experience in radio journalism and as a producer for Hora 20, a leading
opinion program in Colombian radio. Winner of the Otto de Grei Award in 2021 for the best thesis in the category of
Environment and Sustainable Development. National Journalism Award Simón Bolívar 2022 in the Opinion category.
Universidad del Rosario, Colombia
[email protected]
ORCID:
0009-0004-4646-8044
Óscar Parra Castellanos.
Data journalist. Systems Engineer from Universidad Nacional de Colombia, with a
specialization in Journalism from Universidad de los Andes and a master's degree in Journalism from Universidad San
Pablo CEU. He has 20 years of experience in digital media, working with portals focused on political issues and Human
Rights, such as
Votebien.com
and
VerdadAbierta.com
. He is a reporter, multimedia report designer, and programmer of
database tools with journalistic content. He is the director of
Rutas del Conicto
, a media outlet with nearly 10 years of
experience covering social conict in Colombia.
Universidad del Rosario, Colombia
[email protected]
ORCID:
0009-0001-3616-2349
is content is published under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License. International License CC BY-NC 4.0
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1. Introduction
e media, news industry, and journalism around the world have been experiencing profound transformations for over two
decades. is ongoing period of change has prompted media owners, journalists, academics, politicians, regulatory bodies,
and society at large to contemplate the current state and future trajectory of the sector. Critical issues include the economic
crisis caused by declining advertising revenues, the closure of media outlets, and widespread journalist layos. Furthermore,
there are signicant threats to press freedom and journalistic integrity, a marked decline in trust and credibility in both media
and journalists, the inuence of major tech platforms on the production and consumption of news content, and audience
disengagement from news. ese topics are at the forefront of the political and academic discussions surrounding the media
landscape.
e complexity of these challenges demands increasingly thorough research and analysis to understand both the diculties
involved and the strategies and actions required to mitigate their impacts. While many issues aect media and journalists
worldwide, it is important to consider the regional and national nuances in their study. For instance, the strategies employed
by large media corporations in the Global North to address crises often dier signicantly from those utilized by smaller media
outlets in developing countries. Journalists’ layos, job reductions, and labor precariousness are among the global trends that
require focused attention and are a signicant concern for both professionals in the eld and communication scholars. e
year 2020, marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, proved to be one of the most challenging for journalists, witnessing the highest
number of layos in the past decade. Since then, these layos have continued to rise (Fischer, 2020, 2023; Newman, 2024).
Recibido: 01/07/2024 - Aceptado: 07/10/2024 - En edición: 13/11/2024 - Publicado: 01/01/2025
Resumen:
El objetivo del presente artículo es analizar las condiciones laborales de
quienes ejercen el periodismo en Colombia. Para ello se presentan los re
-
sultados de una encuesta realizada entre septiembre y diciembre de 2023
a 271 periodistas. Los datos evidencian las condiciones de precariedad
e inestabilidad bajo las cuales trabajan los periodistas en el país, en las
que las largas jornadas laborales y la falta de garantías caracterizan el
trabajo de quienes ejercen la profesión. Los periodistas de municipios y
regiones alejadas de los centros urbanos cuentan con peores condiciones y
menores ingresos, lo cual afecta el tipo de información que se produce en
esas zonas. Del total de periodistas encuestados, 127 maniestan insatis
-
facción con sus condiciones laborales y más del 50 % estaría dispuesto a
abandonar la profesión. Aunque la encuesta no es representativa ni ree
-
ja la situación de todos los periodistas del país, arroja datos valiosos para
conocer e identicar las condiciones bajo las que se ejerce la profesión pe
-
riodística en Colombia.
Palabras clave:
Condiciones laborales; medios de comunicación; periodismo en
Colombia; precariedad laboral.
Received: 01/07/2024 - Accepted: 07/10/2024 - Early access: 13/11/2024 - Published: 01/01/2025
Abstract:
is article analyzes the working conditions for journalists in
Colombia. It presents the results of a survey conducted between
September and December 2023 involving 271 journalists. e ndings
highlight the precarious and unstable circumstances under which
these professionals operate, characterized by long working hours
and insucient guarantees. Journalists in municipalities and regions
distant from urban centers face even worse conditions and lower
incomes, adversely impacting the quality of information produced in
those areas. Among the respondents, 127 reported dissatisfaction with
their working conditions, and over 50 % indicated they would consider
leaving the profession. While the survey is not representative of all
journalists in the country, it oers valuable insights into the realities
and challenges faced by those practicing journalism in Colombia.
Keywords:
Working conditions; media; journalism in Colombia; labor
precariousness.
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In the United States, the past decade has witnessed the closure of hundreds of local news outlets and signicant layos at major
organizations, including
NBC
,
Time Magazine
,
Business Insider
, and the
Los Angeles Times
, as well as brands associated with
the Condé Nast conglomerate, which owns publications such as
Wired
,
Vogue
, and
e New Yorker
(Carnevale & Wenzinger,
2022; Frazier, 2024; Helmore, 2024; Shafer, 2024). A similar trend is evident in Spain, where the 2023 Annual Report on the
Journalism Profession, published by the Asociación de Prensa de Madrid (APM), highlights not only job losses but also a rise
in precarious working conditions and uncertainty within the sector. In Latin America, a study conducted by the Federação
Nacional dos Jornalistas (National Federation of Journalists) in Brazil (2023) revealed that approximately 13,000 journalism
jobs were lost between 2013 and 2021. According to the Departamento Intersindical de Estatística e Estudos Socioeconômicos
(Inter-union Department of Statistics and Socioeconomic Studies) in Brazil, between 2020 and 2021, there was a signicant
reduction in employment across eight positions within the communications sector (Federação Nacional dos Jornalistas, 2024).
Although Colombia lacks ocial statistics on the number of media workers and layos in the sector, information published
in the press indicates that several journalistic organizations have closed and hundreds of employees have been laid o in
recent years. In 2018, over 90 employees were let go from NTN24, an international news channel owned by the Organización
Ardila Lulle. In early 2019,
Editorial Televisa
, which owns various entertainment publications such as
Caras
,
Muy Interesante
,
Vanidades
,
Cosmopolitan
, and
National Geographic
, ceased all operations in Colombia. Later that year, the
El Tiempo
publishing house laid o approximately 250 employees (Pulzo, 2019); in February, more than 100 workers were dismissed
from
El Tiempo Televisión
, and in June, over 150 journalists left the print newspaper (Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa,
2019; La Liga contra el Silencio, 2019). In March 2019,
Vice Colombia
, part of the
Vice Media
group, closed its local branch
as part of a global workforce reduction. In 2023,
Vice Media
declared bankruptcy and was rescued by a group of investors;
however, layos continued into 2024, culminating in the closure of its news site,
vice.com
(Ciolli, 2023; Yang, 2024).
e year 2020 was critical for the world economy and as part of that for the media as the COVID-19 pandemic led to the
closure of hundreds of media outlets. In Colombia, the magazines
Arcadia
and
Dinero
, both owned by Publicaciones Semana
and the Gilinski Group, were shut down. During the same year,
Semana
, the country’s only weekly printed magazine, laid o
several journalists, editors, and columnists (Higuera, 2020; Infobae, 2020). In 2021,
Telemedellín
, a local television channel
in Medellín, also experienced layos (
El Tiempo
, 2021). In 2022, the newspaper
El Colombiano
faced similar job cuts in the
same city. In 2023,
Caracol Radio
announced layos, and Cali’s popular newspaper,
Q’hubo
, ceased operations (
La Silla Vacía
,
2023).
e escalation of job losses in the media and journalism sector has become increasingly apparent in recent years. is trend
poses great challenges for those who lose their jobs and aects those who remain in the industry. In addition to the persistent
threat of layos, journalists face deteriorating contractual conditions. e current economic landscape has resulted in fewer
available positions and created less favorable working environments. is article investigates the working conditions for
journalists in Colombia, a nation marked by a concentrated media system and a longstanding history of aggression toward
media professionals.
To investigate the working conditions for journalists in Colombia, a survey was conducted targeting individuals actively
engaged in journalism, either through direct employment or by consistently producing content for media outlets. e ndings
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and analyses are based on 271 completed surveys. Although this sample cannot be deemed representative due to the absence
of comprehensive data or a national census of journalists, it oers signicant insights into the current panorama for journalism
in Colombia.
1.1. e study of working conditions in journalism
In recent years, the working conditions for journalists have emerged as a critical focus within communication studies, largely
due to the signicant impacts of technological advancements and digitalization on both the production and consumption of
journalistic content.
A substantial body of research emphasizes the decline in the conditions under which journalists and media professionals work
(Caminos, 2020; Chadha and Steiner, 2022; García et al., 2015; Gollmitzer, 2014; Mellado-Ruiz and Lagos, 2013; Reyna, 2017;
Rick, 2023). However, labor precarization is not solely a concern for journalists. Numerous authors and organizations have
highlighted that the working conditions across all sectors of the economy have deteriorated over the past few decades. is
decline can be attributed to economic liberalization, the reduction of benets and guarantees, falling wages, and increasing
contractual exibility, among other factors (De Schutter, 2023; Julián-Vejar, 2017; Lewchuk et al., 2015; Pietrykowski, 2021;
Standing, 2014). As a result, “For many, precarious working conditions and a lack of decent pay characterize the work
experience” (De Schutter, 2023: 5).
According to Arne Kalleberg and Steven Vallas (2017), precarious work is characterized as “uncertain, unstable, and insecure
and in which employees bear the risks of work (as opposed to businesses or the government) and receive limited social
benefts and statutory protections” (Kalleberg & Vallas, 2017: 1). is precariousness has proliferated and become increasingly
evident in the media sector and cultural industries (Mould, 2019; Zafra, 2017). e swift adoption of labor exibilization
and the freelance work model in the media industry have signicantly contributed to this phenomenon (Kahn, 2024).
Among journalists and media workers, short-term contracts, diminished benets, low wages, and extended working hours
have become the norm, resulting in widespread instability and uncertainty in the eld (Pietrykowski, 2021). e decline in
journalists’ working conditions has intensied due to the economic crisis facing the media industry, which has led to extensive
layos worldwide—a situation exacerbated by the pandemic (Rick, 2023).
Research on journalists’ working conditions indicates that precariousness leads to several adverse consequences, including
increased vulnerability, multiple job-holding, diminished quality of journalism, and in many instances, the abandonment
of journalistic careers. Journalists facing poor working conditions become more susceptible to their employers; instability
and uncertainty compel them to accept roles and responsibilities that fall short of their expectations or even contradict their
will. ese precarious conditions also render them more vulnerable to extrajournalistic forces, such as political or corporate
powers, which exploit the situation to coerce or intimidate journalists (Valencia et al., 2019). Low incomes drive journalists
to seek additional employment, which may or may not align with their professional expertise. “Low wages and the lack of
opportunities force journalists to seek other work and hold multiple jobs whether in journalism or in other areas” (Márquez
et al.
, 2021: 141).
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One of the greatest consequences of precarious conditions for journalists is the impact on their professional routines and
production methods. Journalists and researchers alike have highlighted that working conditions have a direct eect on the
quality of the content they create (APM, 2023; Márquez
et al.
, 2021; Nerone, 2022; Rick, 2023). “Precarious working conditions
might inuence the research routines of journalists, the quality of information and the objectivity of news coverage […]” (Rick,
2023: 12-13).
Beyond increasing vulnerability, the need to seek alternative sources of income, and the potential decline in content quality,
precarious working conditions are prompting many journalists to abandon their professional careers. is trend raises
signicant concerns, as “is not only aects journalists in their private lives but could also be seen as a threat to democracy
since insecure working conditions may also have an impact on the quality of reporting” (Rick, 2023: 1). While some journalists
transition to related elds, such as public relations, press management, or advertising, this shift further weakens the profession.
e deterioration of working conditions is a global trend but not a uniform phenomenon; on the contrary, precariousness is
shaped by historical, social, political, and economic factors:
[…] But while precarity is universal, including with respect to journalism, the vulnerability of journalists and news outlets is uneven –
analogous to the overall global disparities in vulnerability. Social and political contexts, including geography, matter. Intersections of
race and gender complicate and compound precarity. (Chadha & Steiner, 2022, 2021: 4)
Several authors note that the precarious conditions aecting much of journalism worldwide have historically been a
characteristic in Latin America (Márquez et al., 2021). In this region, factors like the slow and limited professionalization of
journalism have often left journalists without the same labor protections aorded to other economic sectors. Furthermore,
within each country, journalists’ working conditions vary widely. ose employed by major, traditional media outlets in
national capitals and large urban centers generally experience better conditions and greater protections compared to
journalists in smaller towns and rural areas.
In Colombia, research on labor conditions for journalists has been ongoing for the past two decades. One of the earliest
studies, dating back to 2003, already highlighted the inadequate conditions for practicing journalism in the country (Cadavid,
2003). Over the past fteen years, four major studies on this subject have been published. Notably, Liliana Gutiérrez led
research in 2010 (Gutiérrez et al., 2010) and again in 2020 (Gutiérrez, 2020), focusing on journalists’ labor conditions and
professional satisfaction. In addition, Daniel Valencia, José Pereira, and Jairo Rodríguez (2019) investigated the situation of
regional journalists, revealing that precariousness and lack of labor protections are more severe in smaller and mid-sized
cities. Supporting this perspective is a study conducted by the Colombian Federation of Journalists –FECOLPER– (2020).
Research consistently highlights that Colombian journalists encounter signicant challenges, including low wages, extensive
working hours, high rates of informality, multiple job holdings, inadequate incentives for practicing journalism, low job
satisfaction, and limited union representation (Cadavid, 2003; FECOLPER, 2020; Gutiérrez, 2020; Gutiérrez et al., 2010; Valencia
et al., 2019). ese diculties are particularly acute for journalists operating in local and regional contexts (FECOLPER; 2020;
Valencia
et al.
, 2019).
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2. Methodology
To assess the working conditions for journalists in Colombia, a survey was conducted targeting individuals actively engaged
in the profession, whether they are directly aliated with a media outlet or regularly produce content for such organizations.
e survey consisted of 44 questions divided into three sections: demographic data, media prole, and labor and contractual
conditions. Of these questions, 10 focused on sociodemographic information, including gender, age, place of birth, and
educational background. e media prole section included 12 questions intended to characterize the media outlets where
journalists work, including ownership, coverage, and the types of content and themes addressed. Finally, the section on labor
and contractual conditions featured 22 questions that explored the journalists’ roles, type of contracts or aliations, income
and salary remuneration, tools used for journalistic work, and hours dedicated to their profession, among other aspects.
e survey was distributed to journalists via email and phone calls from September 18 to December 18, 2023. Approximately
1,000 surveys were sent to journalists across the country, resulting in 276 responses. Five responses were discarded: 4 were
excluded because the individuals were not aliated with media organizations, but rather worked in public oces or as part
of international cooperation agencies, while the fth was eliminated due to incomplete answers. Ultimately, the results and
analysis are based on 271 valid surveys.
3. Results, analysis, and discussion
As illustrated in Table 1, the survey was completed by journalists from Bogotá and 30 other departments, excluding Guainía
and Vichada, which are among the country’s least populated regions. e highest levels of representation were from the
departments of Antioquia, Atlántico, Bolívar, Valle de Cauca, and the capital. According to the data, 107 respondents work in
radio, 63 in digital media, 62 in print media, and 28 in television. Notably, the majority of respondents are employed by private
media organizations.
Table 1. Surveys answered based on departments and type of media
Departamento
TVRadioPrint
Digital native
Other
StatePrivateCommunityStatePrivateCommunityStatePrivateCommunityStatePrivateCommunity
Amazonas1
Antioquía5226118122
Arauca212
Atlántico214241
Bolívar11124
Bogotá D. C.
3553013272016
Boyacá122
Caldas23211
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Caquetá21
Casanare13
Cauca211
Cesar1
Chocó11
Córdoba1
Cundinamarca1
Guainía
Guaviare21
Huila3211
La Guajira
211
Magdalena5111
Meta4
Nariño111
Norte de
Santander
1
Putumayo2
Quindío111
Risaralda11
San Andrés y
Providencia
1
Santander111131
Sucre2
Tolima112
Valle del Cauca
12132111
Vaupés1
Vichada
Otro1311
Total
111524256955521244710
28107626310
Source: created by authors
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Fifty-six percent of the survey respondents identied as male. e predominant age range was 25 to 30 years (22.1 %), followed
by 36 to 40 years (15.8 %) and those between 31 and 35 years (15.1 %). 58.6 % of participants work as journalists, while 13.6
% hold managerial positions and 10.3 % are editors. e majority of respondents hold a professional degree (66 %), 16 %
indicated they have a master’s degree, and 10.7 % have a technical degree. In terms of professional experience, 25 % have over
21 years of experience; 24 % have between 1 and 5 years, and 23 % have between 6 and 10 years.
Regarding employment type, 44.3 % of the surveyed journalists reported having an indenite-term employment contract, 25.8
% work on a service contract, and 12.9 % have a xed-term employment contract. 11.4 % of respondents do not have any type
of contract, and 5.5 % work on an advertising basis or quota (see Figure 1)
Figure 1. Type of contract
Source: created by authors
Although more than half of journalists have some form of direct employment with a media outlet, the results indicate that
indenite-term employment contracts are primarily found in private media, while public media predominantly utilize service
contracts. Meanwhile, journalists aliated with community media often do not have any type of contract.
When cross-referencing contract type with gender, it becomes evident that men enjoy better working conditions, as 25 % have
indenite-term employment contracts, compared to just 19.1 % of women (see Figure 2). is, combined with the fact that
service contracts and xed-term contracts are the most common for women, leads to greater instability for them.
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Figure 2. Type of contract based on gender
Source: created by authors
Regarding work hours, the data indicates that 72 % of respondents dedicate more than 8 hours a day to journalistic work, which
exceeds the legally permitted workday in Colombia. Only 8.6 % work less than 6 hours a day (see Figure 3).
Figure 3. Hours dedicated
Source: created by authors
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Radio journalists dedicate the most hours to their work, with 78.5 % working more than 12 hours. In second place are print
journalists (19 %) and digital media journalists (17 %) (see Figure 4).
Figure 4. Hours dedicated based on media type
Source: created by authors
In comparing the working hours of men and women, the results reveal that men predominantly work between 8 to 10 hours a
day, while women are more likely to work between 10 to 12 hours. Among those who work more than 12 hours, 54 % are men
(see Figure 5). Another signicant nding from the survey is that 49 % of journalists indicate that their media organizations
do not provide compensation for hours worked outside of regular schedules. is includes a lack of payment for overtime,
weekend, or holiday work, as well as no provision for compensatory days o. Additionally, 46 % of respondents feel that there
are inadequate conditions for career mobility and advancement.
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Figure 5. Hours dedicated based on gender
Source: created by authors
In terms of income, 20 % of respondents report earnings exceeding 5 million pesos per month, while 20 % earn between 4 and
5 million, and 17 % earn between 3 and 4 million. ese statistics reveal that only one-fth of the surveyed journalists make
more than ve times the current minimum monthly salary (SMMLV) for 2023
1
, while approximately 8 % of journalists earn less
than the minimum salary, and 4 % receive no income from their work at all.
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Figure 6. Income
Source: created by authors
e results indicate that men tend to earn higher salaries in the profession. For women, the highest income bracket falls
between 4 and 5 million pesos. Notably, 7.2 % of the male respondents reported receiving no remuneration for their work,
while 11 % indicated they earn less than the minimum monthly wage (see Figure 7).
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Figure 7. Income based on gender
Source: created by authors
Among the total respondents, the largest group of journalists earns a salary between COP 4 and 5 million and works in radio
(12.5 %), followed by those earning between COP 3 and 4 million, also in radio (7 %), and those working in print media with
a salary between COP 2 and 3 million (5.9 %). Paradoxically, radio journalists are the ones receiving the lowest pay overall: 45
% report earning less than the minimum monthly wage (SMMLV) for 2023, followed by 36 % from digital media and 9 % from
television (see Figure 8).
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Figure 8. Income based on media type
Source: created by authors
Notably, those earning over 5 million pesos per month have more than 21 years of experience. Alarmingly, 16.4 % of journalists
with over 21 years in the eld earn less than the minimum monthly wage (SMMLV) for 2023. Furthermore, 56 % of journalists
with 6 to 10 years of experience report earning between 3 and 4 million pesos.
Regarding their working conditions, 46.4 % of journalists expressed dissatisfaction, while 32.4 % took a neutral stance, and only
20.6 % indicated satisfaction with their circumstances.
In the survey, participants were given a list of options to indicate what they believed would improve their working conditions.
e majority emphasized the need for better salaries, followed by direct, indenite-term contracts and improved tools for
practicing journalism. Dened working hours ranked fourth, while role clarity and responsibilities came fth. Autonomy and
control over their work were ranked sixth, and collective representation before employers was also considered important.
Interestingly, 96.3 % of the journalists surveyed are not members of a labor union (see Figure 9).
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Figure 9. Improved workign conditions
Source: created by authors
Conversely, 50.6 % of the journalists surveyed indicated that they wish to leave journalism for other career opportunities, while
only 36.9 % stated that they intend to remain in the profession, and 12.5 % chose not to respond (see Figure 10).
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Figure 10. Intends to leave journalism
Source: created by authors
Examining these gures by gender demonstrates that 49 % of men and 52 % of women are contemplating leaving journalism.
is statistic is especially noteworthy as it underscores the high level of dissatisfaction journalists feel toward their working
conditions and the broader challenges of the profession in the country (see Figure 11).
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Figure 11. Leaving journalism based on gender
Source: created by authors
Analyzing by income bracket revealed that 44 % of those earning more than 5 million pesos a month are willing to leave the
profession. is gure rises to 78.4 % among those earning 4 million pesos or less than the current minimum wage (SMMLV)
(see Figure 12).
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ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978
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Figure 12. Leaving journalism based on income bracket
Source: created by authors
e data presented in Figures 10, 11, and 12 reveal that the inclination to leave the journalism profession is prevalent among
both men and women, irrespective of their income or level of experience. Journalists across all career stages –whether they
are newcomers or seasoned professionals with over 15 or 20 years in the eld– have expressed a desire to leave the profession
(see Figure 13). However, the highest percentage of journalists unwilling to abandon their careers is among those with over 21
years of experience.
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Figure 13. Leaving journalism based on experience
Source: created by authors
e fact that more than half of the respondents express a desire to leave journalism is both signicant and troubling, as it
underscores journalists’ growing disillusionment with their profession. is sentiment reects not merely a wish to change
jobs but a desire to exit the eld of journalism altogether.
However, as noted, these survey results align closely with certain international trends. A 2022 study conducted in Switzerland
(Albrecht and Bühler, 2023) revealed a rising number of journalists leaving the profession since 2016. e authors identied
three critical phases: young graduates struggling to nd employment; established journalists who, unable to achieve a
work-life balance, prioritize their personal lives; and seasoned professionals nearing retirement who become nancially
burdensome for media outlets, leading to a preference for hiring younger sta. Similar patterns were observed in a study
by Muck Rack (2024) in the United States, which indicated that low salaries and excessive workloads are the primary factors
driving journalists to consider leaving the industry.
4. Conclusions
e survey highlights the precarious working conditions that Colombian journalists endure. However, as previous research has
shown, issues like contractual instability, low wages, holding multiple jobs, and long working hours are not new for journalists
in the country. ese challenges are not solely the result of current crises in the media industry; rather, precariousness has
historically been a dening characteristic of journalism in Colombia.
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Working conditions of journalists in Colombia
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e data reveal that, despite a considerable proportion of respondents holding professional and even postgraduate degrees,
journalists endure unstable and inadequately compensated working conditions. A particularly alarming insight is that only
20 % of respondents expressed satisfaction with their work circumstances, while over half indicated a willingness to leave the
profession. Indeed, the desire to transition from journalism to other elds is common among both men and women across all
age groups. is indicates that both emerging journalists and those with extensive experience are equally inclined to consider
leaving the profession.
is information highlights that, with few exceptions, Colombian journalists lack dignied working conditions and access
to the essential resources and tools needed for eective journalism. is lack of support aects not only their personal and
professional well-being but also the overall integrity of journalism.
While the decline in journalists’ working conditions is a global trend, the situation in Colombia is particularly concerning.
Journalists face threats and aggression from a variety of sources, including armed groups operating outside the law, drug
tracking networks, politicians, and government ocials, as well as other state agents such as the armed forces (Centro
Nacional de Memoria Histórica, 2015). ese adverse conditions render journalists more vulnerable to external inuences
that have historically interfered with their professional work, thereby aecting the nature of the content produced and, in turn,
the news agenda, freedom of press, and public opinion (Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa, 2023).
It is both urgent and essential to continue conducting research and longitudinal studies that examine the quality of journalists’
working conditions. Such eorts are crucial not only to understand and assess the current landscape but also to contribute to
solutions that foster an information ecosystem that meets the needs of Colombian society.
Discussions surrounding the crisis and future of journalism must prioritize the conditions under which journalists operate.
Advocating for their labor rights is not merely the responsibility of the profession; it should also involve the state, media
owners, academics, and the broader community. Democratic societies depend on rigorous and committed journalists, but
this becomes increasingly dicult if those in the eld are not aorded fair wages and reasonable working hours.
5. Acknowledgements
is article has been translated into English by Tiziana Laudato to whom we are grateful for her work.
is work has been partially funded by a joint scholarship awarded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and
the Universidad del Rosario to the winners of the Otto de Grei National Competition, 2021.
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6. Specic contributions of each author
Name and Surname
Conception and design of the workDiego García Ramírez
Methodology
Diego García Ramírez, Paulina Morales Valencia, and
Óscar Parra Castellano
Data collection and analysis
Diego García Ramírez, Paulina Morales Valencia, and
Óscar Parra Castellanos
Discussion and conclusionsDiego García Ramírez and Paulina Morales Valencia
Drafting, formatting, version review and approvalDiego García Ramírez and Paulina Morales Valencia
7. Conicts of interest
e authors declare that there is no conict of interest contained in this article.
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