The Austrian Journalist in the Twenty-First Century: Observing Journalism Change after the Turn of the Century

In the decades following the Second World War, Austria’s journalism was certainly a job, perhaps a vocation, but it lacked much in the way of a profession. There were hardly any practice-oriented study programs. Addressing journalistic responsibility and ethical questions was the concern of only a few. The demand for more diversity in the newsrooms was raised at a late stage. Empirical research on the composition of newsrooms and goals of journalists has been scarce. Over the past two decades, much has changed in Austria’s media landscape and its population. Based on two national overall surveys, this chapter summarizes key results of contemporary journalism research. It documents how the levels of education and ethical self-reflection have increased – but at the same time, the number of journalists in Austria has declined significantly. Journalism now is a profession, but under strong economic pressure.