Passing Through Journalism? Journalism as a Temporary Job and Professional Institutions in Decline

A good deal of research has focused on young people entering journalism and on journalists as a professional group (Spichal and Sparks, 1994; Weaver, 2005; Asp, 2007; see also chapter 11). Less research has addressed the issue of journalists leaving the profession, why they leave, and the nature of their subsequent employment. What kinds of journalists leave the profession, and what do they think about journalism when they leave? One reason for this lack of research, of course, is the diffi culty of contacting these ex-journalists. Particular case histories can create the misapprehension that all “ex-journalists move into PR.”