UK Journalists in the 2020s: Regional launch of major new report on the state of journalism in the UK

The report is published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (Oxford University) and draws on a large representative survey among UK journalists

Who are today’s journalists? How are they employed, what do they earn and which social class dominates their profession? Which ethical standards do they follow and how safe do they feel they are in their work? How do they use AI and social media? Do they still think objectivity is important? And who influences them?

These are just a few of the questions tackled in a major new report – co-authored by researchers from the University of Leeds’ Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures – on the state of UK journalism.

The report is published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (Oxford University) and draws on a large representative survey among UK journalists. It includes a wide range of fascinating findings regarding journalists’ demographics, working conditions, job inequalities, use of technology, ethical attitudes and professional principles, journalists’ experience of their safety and wellbeing and of what influences their work, as well as what they believe to be true and why.  

The report is edited by Dr Imke Henkel (University of Leeds, School of Media and Communication) with Professor Neil Thurman (Ludwig Maximilian University Munich and City St George’s, University of London), Sina Thäsler-Kordonouri (LMU Munich), and Dr Richard Fletcher (Reuters Institute of the Study of Journalism) and brings together authors from six different universities.

Regional launch

The report was published online today by the Reuters Institute. The online release will be followed by a national launch at City St George's, University of London on 28th April, and then by a regional launch at the University of Leeds on 1st May at 5.45pm.

The Leeds launch will in particular focus on the state of local and regional journalism, on which the report includes some especially interesting findings. For example, the report’s data show that local and regional journalists in the UK put greater emphasis than national journalists on their professional roles that are important for democracy, such as holding the powerful to account, speaking on behalf of the marginalized, or providing information that people need to form political opinions.

The Leeds launch brings together a stellar line-up of local and regional journalists who will discuss what such findings mean for the current state and for the future of local journalism – including the question whether, in the digital age, there is such a thing as local journalism any more. The confirmed panel speakers are: 

• John Baron, Editor and co-founder of West Leeds Dispatch
•  Susie Beever, journalist, writer, reporter
•  Sunita Bhatti, Head of Regions, Channel 4 News
•  Theodora Fairley, Senior News Editor, BBC Yorkshire
• Sarah Lester, Editor of Manchester Evening News
•  Jacob Tomlinson, BBC Local Digital Lead for Bradford 2025

The panel discussion will be chaired by Professor Julie Firmstone, Professor of Journalism and Political Communication at Leeds University’s School of Media and Communication. It will be introduced by a short presentation of the findings by Dr Imke Henkel, co-editor and co-author of the report, and Lecturer in Journalism and Media at the University’s School of Media and Communication.

The launch seeks to welcome students, staff, journalists and members of the public to come along to find out more about the working lives of journalists in the UK. There will be a Q & A with the audience after the panel discussion.

To register, please contact mediaresearchsupport@leeds.ac.uk by midday on 28 April, including any dietary requirements you may have.

Speaking ahead of the launch Dr Henkel said:

“Journalists and journalism are at a critical stage in the UK – as they are worldwide. This matters because the state of journalism is essential for our democracy, I would even say essential for how we live together as a society. Our report helps to understand better where we are and can thus help UK news media – and us – to move forward.”

The report

The report is based on a survey conducted between September and November 2023 with a representative sample of 1,130 UK journalists, a follow-up to a similar survey in 2015. The survey was carried out as part of the third wave of the Worlds of Journalism Study project.

The analysis of the survey data and more than 200 other relevant sources of information has produced numerous findings.

It documents increased precarity in the profession with a shift away from permanent contracts and growth in the number of freelancers, lingering inequalities between specific groups in terms of pay and seniority, the continued adoption of new technologies that bring benefits but also exacerbate risks, and changing conceptions of roles, ethics, and journalism’s relationship with society.

In addition, the report includes important findings about the specific role that local and regional journalists aim to play in democracy.

Further information

Contact University of Leeds press officer Morgan Buswell with media enquiries via email on m.buswell@leeds.ac.uk or by phone on 0113 3438059.