Challenges in freelance journalism academic research: a literature review

Abstract

Freelance journalism is a form of employment in which the self-employed professional offers his or her services to different clients without a long-term commitment. In a context of economic turbulence, journalistic companies use this type of employment to make their workforces more flexible and reduce budgets. As a result, it has experienced tremendous growth over the past two decades. In view of this expansion, the aim of this research is to bring together the knowledge that the scientific literature has generated about this employment alternative. To this end, a systematized bibliographic review (n=58) is used. The results reveal that freelance journalism is a heterogeneous profession, although women predominate, and that this majority group faces difficulties related to the reconciliation of personal and professional life. Furthermore, there is evidence of a predominance of unsatisfactory working conditions in various markets around the world, although freelance journalism also brings professional advantages to well-positioned individuals, such as flexibility and autonomy, which enhances the importance of self-management strategies. Therefore, it is concluded that the scientific literature should continue to focus on working conditions, but should also delve into the training of journalists, the development and teaching of this type of strategies and, as a topic little explored to date, the policies and legislation affecting the sector.