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The Fragile Professional Identities of Digital Journalists in Romania

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Virtual Workers and the Global Labour Market

Part of the book series: Dynamics of Virtual Work ((DVW))

Abstract

This chapter investigates the challenges and opportunities of digital labour, from the perspective of digital journalists. It argues that journalism as a profession has not been dramatically changed by evolving technologies to date, but rather shaped by rapid changes in the working conditions of journalists presumed to be necessary for digital transition. The chapter argues that economic factors are an important element in understanding media work. Digital journalists have developed a fragile professional identity while working for institutionally well-structured and powerful media companies. Moreover, the ideology of freelancing or of entrepreneurship and the growing tendency to use microwork or piecework in many contexts (including media) influence the way job is performed by digital journalists.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The press law from 1935 to 1936 introduced the press card in France. The press card was given to every person that worked as journalist and earned from practising journalism at least the equivalent of the minimum wage (Agnès, 2011; Ruellan, 1993). In Romania, this definition was included in the first journalism textbook, published in the 1930s (Samoilă, 1932, p. 38).

  2. 2.

    According to specialists, the CMS ‘offer “all-in-one” tools that can be used to combine various technologies, and can assure cross-platform and cross-channel compatibilities (…). CMS allow unlimited content publishing, allow users to actively participate and collaborate and offer usable interfaces’ (Drulă, 2014).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Journalism, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

    Romina Surugiu

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  1. Romina Surugiu
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. London School of Economics, London, United Kingdom

    Juliet Webster

  2. Hertfordshire Business School, University of Hertfordshire, AL10 9AB, United Kingdom

    Keith Randle

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Surugiu, R. (2016). The Fragile Professional Identities of Digital Journalists in Romania. In: Webster, J., Randle, K. (eds) Virtual Workers and the Global Labour Market. Dynamics of Virtual Work. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-47919-8_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-47919-8_9

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-47918-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-47919-8

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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