business journalists study 2010
DESCRIPTION
Almost two-thirds of business journalists report that the amount of business coverage at their organization has stayed the same or increased in the past five years, according to a new survey commissioned by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism.TRANSCRIPT
Business Journalists Study 2010
Prepared for the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism
Prepared by Behavior Research Center Inc., Phoenix, Arizona
INTRODUCTION
This report was commissioned by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism and conducted by Behavior Research Center (BRC). The purpose of the study was to explore issues faced by business journalists today.
The information contained in this report is based on 473 in-depth interviews with business journalists throughout the United States. Interviewing was conducted between April 19 and May 6, 2010, by professional interviewers at BRC’s state-of-the-art Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) facility in Phoenix. Interviewing was conducted under the direct supervision of BRC supervisory personnel, who randomly monitor interviews as they are conducted and who validate completed interviews. Prior to beginning the interviews, all interviewers were trained in all aspects of this job, including protocols for open-ended questions and sampling techniques.
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
INTRODUCTION
Completed interviews were segmented by the type of media each respondent works in. Thus, total completed interviews in each media type are as follows:
• Print: 135• Broadcast: 88• Wire service: 139• Freelance: 67• Online: 44
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
Asked of Reporters
“How many beats do you currently cover?”
“How many beats did you cover five years ago?”
Among Journalists with One or More Beats
(Mean Number of Beats Covered)
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
2.8
3.2
2.4
4.0
3.0
2.32.7 2.5
3.3 3.4 3.5 3.5
Total Print Broadcast Wire Freelance Online
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
Five Years Ago Current
Service
Asked of Reporters
“How many beats do you currently cover?”
“How many beats did you cover five years ago?”
(Percent Who Cover Only One Beat)
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
28%23%
4% 5%
45%
34% 33%
18%
40%
49%
27% 28%
Total Print Broadcast Wire Freelance Online
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Five Years Ago Current
Service
“About how many others in your newsroom cover business at least 50 percent of the time?”
“In your newsroom, about how many were there covering business five years ago?”
“And five years from now, about how many do you think will be covering business in your newsroom?”
Mean Number of People in Newsroom Covering Business
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
45.0 41.454.2
14.111.1
9.319.6
30.126.2
135.6
108.7 146.4
14.2
60.4 63.6
15.217.9
16.3
Total Print Broadcast Wire Freelance Online
0.0
25.0
50.0
75.0
100.0
125.0
150.0
Five Years From Now Five Years Ago CurrentService
“Next, I’m going to read some ways other business journalists have told us their jobs have changed in the past five years. As I read each, please tell me if your own job has changed in that way in the past five years.”
(READ EACH; ROTATE SEQUENCE)
(% Yes)
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
49%
50%
52%
54%
55%
75%
78%
92%
Your benefits have been reduced
You cover more beats
You blog
You first file your story for the Web
you have fewer copy editors
You use social media
Your workload has increased
You have learned new skills
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
“Next, I’m going to read some ways other business journalists have told us their jobs have changed in the past five years. As I read each, please tell me if your own job has changed in that way in the past five years.”
(READ EACH; ROTATE SEQUENCE)
(% Yes)
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
29%
34%
39%
43%
45%
47%
You shoot video
You observe a reduction in the overall quality
You gather audio
You have fewer assignment editors
You have fewer opportunities for training
You take photos
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Of your media outlet’s business coverage
“What kinds of specialized training would be helpful to you in your job?” (PRE-CODE; RECORD ALL MENTIONS)
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
9%
10%
11%
12%
12%
12%
13%
18%
18%
19%
21%
23%
28%
Math
Supervising skills
Reporting/interviewing techniques
Source development
Writing skills
Entrepeneurship
Writing for the Web
Investigative reporting
Accounting/financial
Economics
Computer-assisted reporting
Social Media
Multimedia skills
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
“All things considered, would you say your job as a business journalist today is more satisfying than it was five years ago, is it less satisfying
or does it give you about the same satisfaction?”
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
Total
For further information please see tables 8 and 9 in the full report
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
Not sure4%
More satisfying26%
About the same44%
Less satisfying26%
“All things considered, would you say your job as a business journalist today is more satisfying than it was five years ago, is it less satisfying or
does it give you about the same satisfaction?”
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
Not sure7%
More satisfying17%
About the same45%
Less satisfying31%
Not sure1%
More satisfying31%
About the same48%
Less satisfying21%
Broadcast
“All things considered, would you say your job as a business journalist today is more satisfying than it was five years ago, is it less satisfying or
does it give you about the same satisfaction?”
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
Not sure5%
More satisfying34%
About the same39%
Less satisfying22%
Not sure2%
More satisfying19%
About the same42%
Less satisfying37%
WireService
Freelance
“All things considered, would you say your job as a business journalist today is more satisfying than it was five years ago, is it less satisfying or
does it give you about the same satisfaction?”
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
More satisfying33%
About the same47%
Less satisfying20%
Online
“Has your own pay increased, decreased or stayed about the same in the past two years or so?”
Total
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
For further pay information, see Table 23 in the full report.
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
Not sure3%
Increased31%
Stayed About the Same34%
Decreased32%
Not sure1%
Increased20%Stayed About the Same
41%
Decreased38%
“Has your own pay increased, decreased or stayed about the same in the past two years or so?”
Broadcast
Wire Service
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
For further pay information, see Table 23 in the full report.
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
Not sure20%
Increased41%
Stayed About the Same32%
Decreased25%
Not sure4%
Increased40%
Stayed About the Same35%
Decreased21%
“Has your own pay increased, decreased or stayed about the same in the past two years or so?”
Freelance
Online
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
For further pay information, see Table 23 in the full report.
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
Increased20%
Stayed About the Same31%
Decreased49%
Not sure9%
Increased36%
Stayed About the Same20%
Decreased36%
“All things considered, in the next five years do you see yourself staying in business journalism, do you see yourself staying in journalism but not
business journalism or do you see yourself leaving journalism altogether?”
Total
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
Not sure9%
Stay in Business Journalism50%
Stay in Journalism but Not Business Journalism22%
Leave Journalism19%
Not sure10%
Stay in Business Journalism44%
Stay in Journalism but Not Business Journalism24%
Leave Journalism22%
“All things considered, in the next five years do you see yourself staying in business journalism, do you see yourself staying in journalism but not
business journalism or do you see yourself leaving journalism altogether?”
Broadcast
Wire Service
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
Not sure8%
Stay in Business Journalism44%
Stay in Journalism but Not Business Journalism28%
Leave Journalism19%
Not sure12%
Stay in Business Journalism53%
Stay in Journalism but Not Business Journalism18%
Leave Journalism17%
“All things considered, in the next five years do you see yourself staying in business journalism, do you see yourself staying in journalism but not
business journalism or do you see yourself leaving journalism altogether?”
Freelance
Online
Research in Public Opinion, Public Policy & Consumer Behaviorp.o. box 13178 • phoenix, Arizona 85002 • www.brc-research.com
behavior research center, inc.Phone (602) 258-4554 • fax (602) 252-2729
Not sure6%
Stay in Business Journalism52%
Stay in Journalism but Not Business Journalism27%
Leave Journalism15%
Not sure7%
Stay in Business Journalism64%
Stay in Journalism but Not Business Journalism9%
Leave Journalism20%