Commentary

Journalists Throw Off the Gloom: Many Are Hopeful About Their Career Prospects

Journalists worry about many things. Disinformation is first, followed by public trust and lack of funding. But they are in a better frame of mind than you might think, and most are moving ahead with AI, judging by the State of Journalism 2025, according to a study by Muck Rack.  

How do journalists view their work? They find it:

  • Meaningful—67% 
  • Exhausting—47% 
  • Rewarding—43%
  • Exciting—34% 
  • Precarious—33% 
  • Routine or repetitive—24%
  • Isolating—18%
  • Other—5%

Adding to the exhaustion is the fact that 62% have seen their job responsibilities expand in the past year, 27% significantly. 

Despite reported layoffs and the constant stories on news deserts, 54% are confident in their long-term career prospects in journalism, 19% very much so. Another 19% are neutral, and 27% are somewhat or very unconfident. 

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Moreover, 57% are confident in the long-term stability of their organizations, 21% very much so. Only 11% are very concerned and 17% somewhat worried.  

Of those polled, 37% say their newsroom had layoffs or voluntary buyouts in the past year, but the remainder did not.  

Let’s talk money. Most journalists earn from $40,000 to $70,000 a year, but 40% go above that. However, only 15% enter the six figures.  

Here’s another clue as to how journalists are doing, but we’ll leave it to you to decide if it’s good news. Of the reporters polled, 77% are using AI tools, including:  

  • ChatGPT—42%
  • AI transcription tools (e.g. Otter.ai)—40%
  • Grammarly—35%
  • None of these options—23%

In contrast, social media has declined in importance over the past 12 months. Last year, 33% of the respondents said social media was very important for producing their work. That has declined to 23% in this year’s survey. However, social is still deemed very important for promoting their journalism.  

Which social platforms are they using? They cite:

  • Facebook—27%
  • X (formerly Twitter)—21% 
  • LinkedIn—18% 
  • Instagram—14% 
  • Bluesky—7% 
  • Reddit—3% 
  • YouTube—3% 
  • I do not use any of these—3% 
  • TikTok—2%
  • WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal—1%

X has declined in popularity, with 21% saying it is their top platform, down from 36% last year to 21%. And 72% feel X is untrustworthy. LinkedIn is the most trusted platform for 60%.

Of course, being a company that specializes in PR, Muck Rack has to answer some questions about that field. Are you a PR person who wants to pitch a story? These are the signals that will get journalists to respond:

  • Clearly tailored to my beat—69% 
  • Offers access to a credible source—44% 
  • Includes new or exclusive information—41% 
  • Brief and clearly written—31% 
  • Connects to a timely news event or trend—26% 
  • Includes relevant data or research—23% 
  • References my past work—9% 

Muck Rack surveyed 1,890 news producers from April 4-25, 2025. Of those, 1,515 were included in the final analysis. 

 

 

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