Study examines US journalists

Journalists are not getting any younger, but they are making more money and becoming more professional. And over the past 30 years, the newsroom still predominantly consists of white men despite recent attempts to promote diversity, according to a recent study conducted by IU journalism professors entitled, "The American Journalist in the 21st Century."\nThe newly released study presents the most up-to-date research on a study of journalists that was started in 1971 by sociologist John Johnstone. David Weaver, the Roy H. Howard professor in journalism and mass communications research, headed the study, which he co-authored with IU journalism professors Bonnie Brownlee, Randy Beam, Paul Voakes and Cleve Wilhoit.\nThe decennial study provides sociological information about journalists just as the U.S. census presents statistics about the general population. The study, which is funded by the Knight Foundation, randomly selects 1,149 full-time print and broadcast journalists who are asked a series of questions in a telephone interview.\nWeaver first began conducting the study in 1982, after he noticed that Johnstone's statistics were becoming outdated. Weaver said he became interested in the study because unlike most research in mass communications, Johnstone's work focused specifically on journalists rather than their audience.\nAmong some of the key findings that were recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Newspaper Editors was an increase in the age of journalists. Since the last study in 1992, the median age jumped from 36- to 41-years-old. Weaver said the increase is an affect of the aging baby boomers in the media.\n"A lot of hiring was done between the early '70s and early '80s, so there was a huge increase in the amount of journalists employed," he said. "Now that group is in their '50s, and they just keep moving through."\nWeaver also attributed the age increase to the fact that fewer young journalists were hired in recent years. The number of journalists who were hired right out of college dropped by almost 12 percent between 1999 and 2001.\nAlong with an increase in age, the median income of journalists jumped by almost 40 percent to $43,600. Weaver said the jump in age could account for part of the increase in income.\n"I'd expect if we calculated median income by the number of years of experience we would find that younger journalists make less than those who have been in the business for a while," he said.\nAccording to the research, the number of journalists with a college degree is at an all time high -- almost 90 percent. In addition to being more educated, the level of professionalism has risen in the last decade as more reporters said they are less willing to go undercover or use false identification to gather information. The fact that more journalists are graduating from college might explain the stronger value of ethics and professionalism, Weaver said.\nDespite the higher median income and increase in professionalism, the study highlights some problems in the profession. Voakes said diversity within the newsroom is a large concern. \nSince 1982, women only make up one-third of all journalists, despite the fact that they represent the majority of journalists with less than five years experience. The number of black journalists is even smaller -- less than 10 percent. Voakes said while efforts have been made to hire more women and minority by media owners, retaining their employment can often be a problem.\nThe job satisfaction for journalists rose slightly by six percent since 1992, but the latest numbers are still down from 1971, when almost 50 percent said they were very satisfied with their jobs. Voakes said one possibility for the increase in job satisfaction might be that the majority of journalists believe their owners are committed to journalistic values despite profit pressure that exists in the media.\n"There was a big fear that profit pressure would bring an end to news values," he said. "So there may be some level of satisfaction among journalists to know that profit pressure has caused the profession to go to hell in a hand basket."\nMore information on "The American Journalist in the 21st Century" can be found at www.poynter.org.