NCTJ calls for more journalists to take short survey for important industry research

Have you completed the NCTJ’s Journalists at Work survey yet?

Since it launched at the end of January, we are pleased to report that hundreds of journalists and media employers all over the UK have engaged in our industry-wide research.

However, we have set an ambitious target for the number of responses needed to build a representative picture of what being a journalist in 2024 means.

So, we are asking working journalists who haven’t already done so to fill in the short survey, which only takes around 15-20 minutes and is accessible online.

The NCTJ has pulled together some FAQs about the research, here.

The NCTJ’s Journalists at Work report was previously published in 2002, 2012 and 2018, which means the 2024 update is the next piece in the puzzle of how the industry is evolving over time.

Joanne Forbes, NCTJ chief executive, said: “Thank you to everyone who has already got involved with our industry research.

“Your answers are important because they provide insights for journalism educators and the media, so we are all better equipped to understand the changing characteristics and skills, and the shifting demographics of the industry.

“If you haven’t filled out the survey yet, please do consider doing so – your help is crucial.

“Sadly and reluctantly, we have taken the difficult decision not to publish our Diversity in Journalism report this year. We are disappointed, but it’s the right decision in the circumstances. Our industry research must be robust and able to stand up to scrutiny.

“This makes our Journalists at Work research that much more important. In the absence of the diversity report, the results will be crucial in mapping how far the industry has successfully removed barriers to entry.”

Read last year’s Diversity in Journalism report here. Search for previous editions of the diversity report here.

Explaining the decision to postpone publication of a new edition of the Diversity in Journalism report, Mark Spilsbury, the NCTJ’s research consultant, said: “This report is based on an analysis of the Office for National Statistics’ Labour Force Survey (LFS).

“There are increasing concerns about the accuracy of the LFS data with a sharp fall in response rates following Covid. At present, the UK’s Office for Statistics Regulation will not fully endorse LFS data, classifying them as ‘official statistics in development’, which means that while they are useful, they might not fully meet standards on quality.

“Given that we would be looking at disaggregated data for journalism, there are concerns that the data will be volatile. The ONS remedy for these data issues is the rollout of the Transformed Labour Force Survey (TLFS), which will take place in September.

“Until it becomes clear what will be available via the TLFS, we feel it’s best to pause further analysis of journalism data.”

Complete the 2024 Journalists at Work survey here.