ABSTRACT
Media markets in the broader Mediterranean region were particularly affected by the Great Recession of 2008 and post-crisis journalism in the countries under study seem to be in search of new models of journalistic labor. The crisis is still reflected in changing patterns in labor conditions, which advance the role of the individual journalist, along with aggregated stresses and decreased professional security. This chapter presents these models of labor in Greece, Cyprus, and Malta, and their features drawing evidence not only from the post-economic crisis media ecosystems but also from the severe changes that these ecosystems experienced after the pandemic crisis in 2020, which exacerbated existing weaknesses of journalism in the three countries, including pathogenies in the formation of a strong professional culture that makes the profession vulnerable to external pressures. The changing nature of creative work and employment are at the center of the discussion to explore affective labor in media ecosystems of crisis-ridden countries.
