Labor market analysis of freelance journalists in media industry

The aim of this study is to analyze the labor market of freelance journalists on media industry in Turkey. Recently, it has been emphasized on the reports by International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and especially International Labor Organization (ILO) that the nature of media has changed and precarious employment has increased. Changes in the structure of the labor market and work organization occur with the expansion of flexible employment arrangements styles in the sector. Media industry already has a long and unreliable working hours characterized with employment contract of indefinite duration and flexible working. However, in recent years new business models and employment forms emerging from the liberalization of media industry and digital technologies have had an important role in the normalization of precarity. Especially the traditional identity of freelance journalist has been reshaped by the rapidly changing ındustry and it has become a part of a new precarization process. This process, by eroding the quality of the news, also harms the democracy culture and hence the democratic society structure.In this study that mentions about labor market status of freelance journalists connected with changes in media industry, exploratory sequential mixed method design have been used as data collection tool. This method has been selected because of the fact that only quantitative and qualitative research methods are not enough to find out the professional reality of freelance journalist in Turkey. The findings have showed that the roles of freelance journalists in media industry have changed and digital developments in media industry have created a chance of finding new job and developing new skills in the careers of freelance journalist and that precarious work has become widespread.