Most journalists don't want their children to adopt the profession

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
Journalists enjoy their work, but they wouldn't want their children to follow in their footsteps, according to a University of Haifa survey of 331 men and women in the profession. It was made public at a panel session on "The Journalist's Status" at the journalism conference held recently in Eilat by the Tel Aviv Journalists Association and the university. Drs. Yariv Tzfati, Oren Mayers, Yonatan Cohen and Ro'i Davidson of the university's communications department queried professionals in the print and electronic media, as well as the online, sector-based and local media. Fully 90 percent of the journalists said they were very satisfied with their work, and 93% said they wanted to continue in their profession. However, only 37% said they hoped their offspring would be journalists as well. They said they generally feel free to publish and write what they wish. But on a scale of one (not at all free) to seven (completely free), the average was 5.5. It was the editor who had the most influence on what they could or could not publish, most agreed, followed by their medium's legal adviser and the IDF Censor. Despite the relative feeling of freedom, almost a third felt that commercial interests influence what will appear.