Watchdogs on a leash? The impact of organisational constraints on journalists’ perceived professional autonomy and their relationship with superiors

Abstract

The dependency of journalists on their news organisations seriously questions whether they can maintain their professional autonomy when they face organisational goals that conflict with their own professional goals. This article studies journalists’ sense of professional autonomy by looking at their relationship with their superiors and at their sense of independent discretion. A large-scale survey of Danish journalists (N = 1083) shows that the relationship to superiors is better characterised by consensus and agreement than by adjustment and conflict, and that journalists have substantial independent discretion. However, the sense of professional autonomy varies across different types of news organisations and is limited by gaps between journalists’ own goals and values and the goals and values of their organisation – especially when it comes to conflict on economic goals. Time constraints from the organisation also significantly decrease the sense of professional autonomy.