As a data-driven content agency, we work in communion with journalists forging what we hope is a brighter future for the industry. As part of that, we believe that content could play a role in measuring the status quo of the industry in order to understand how journalists today truly feel. We’ve seen first-hand the fundamental changes that newsrooms are going through in this era of digitalization, and we believe that the future of journalism should be defined by journalists themselves, not only the media moguls and their boardrooms.

In order to start a debate on the topic, we must first comprehend the myriad challenges that face modern journalism today. We came up with the idea to conduct this content experiment, as we felt it was long overdue to hear directly from reporters how they think the industry is faring, what they fear, and their take on why protecting the freedom of press is crucial for society.

To find out how journalists feel about their industry, we sent a poll to a diverse range of reporters around the world asking three simple questions:

What do you think is the biggest threat to journalism today? In one word, what defines journalism in your country right now? Why should people care about protecting the freedom of press?

Those who chose to participate in the poll were then given the option to supply their name or remain anonymous. We received responses from 52 nations, and over 40% allowed us to personally quote them.

Our hope is for the poll findings to spark a conversation between journalists, who all face similar challenges, to find solutions by sharing experiences and sparking new ideas about how to bring innovation and stability to their trade – and perhaps even help educate the public about what a life without free-thinking journalism would look like.

“How journalists feel about their trade can be an insightful barometer into the state of mind of society at large, so it is alarming that the majority of journalists polled are so fearful about their employment stability. It’s also unacceptable that so many reporters live in fear for their safety, or of speaking freely, as we saw with the many journalists who wished to keep their answers anonymous for the sake of their own wellbeing.” comments Elizabeth Ryan, Head of Content at Sweet Spot PR. “We are optimistic that the best days of journalism are still to come; nevertheless, It is clear that reporters around the world are under threat and society has but one right option; to protect them.”

Below you will automatically view the global answers, and one region of the world. You can choose different tabs on both sides to directly compare each region.