How lucrative is a career in journalism?

[cowardescent]

I'm thinking of pursuing a career in journalism but many people tell me it's very stressful with low pay. I live in Ireland if that makes a difference.

 

[hydroazuanacaine]

i wouldn’t recommend it. i worked in pr for a bit and felt bad for journalists. the work is frantic, they are always working, pay doesn’t match skill level, they are not on good advancement tracks, and they lose their jobs constantly due to the shrinking industry. they accept these negatives in exchange for the pursuit of a noble cause, and the vast majority end up relegated to trendy garbage coverage.

if you have a journalism degree, consider working in marketing comms. it pays well, is in demand, uses an extremely similar skill set, they are specifically looking for applicants with journalism degrees, there’s job security, and there is a much clearer path for advancement.

that said, they’re not starving. if you’re a great writer with good people skills, and journalism is where you passion lies, you could do worse. it can be a glamorous industry. if you’re willing to trade high compensation and stability for recognition and cool opportunities, go for it.

 

[dragonix]

I don't think people get into it for wealth surely top journalists can make a killing but if you are willing to stick it out the life enriching experiences and adventure probably draw more people into journalism than lucrative pay

 

[HeadphonesandLSD]

I'm thinking of pursuing a career in journalism but many people tell me it's very stressful with low pay. I live in Ireland if that makes a difference.

Let me put it this way. If you want to tell the truth and do actual journalism expect to be poor for your entire adult life. On the other hand if you're willing to lie and rake mud you might be able to make a living wage out of it. I don't suggest pursuing this as a career.

 

[dalpat077]

I would say that it's something that you don't do for the money.

Some of the most prolific intellectuals and authors of our time started out in journalism and went on to become pretty darn wealthy if not notorious. But money wasn't their motivation. Here I'm thinking of the likes of Christopher Hitchens. But how many times is a Christopher Hitchens going to come along in a single lifetime?

I would imagine it's a lot harder to cut it nowadays though i.e. there's so much fucking "noise" thanks to technology.

Christopher Hitchens - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org