“I love my job, but my job is destroying me”. Permacrisis’ toll on journalistic practice and perceptions about journalism in Southern Europe

Drawing on qualitative analysis using semi-structured interviews, this study examines the enduring impact of the prolonged cycle of global crises on South European journalists’ perceptions about their profession and approaches to their work. The findings reveal a complex interplay of emotions among journalists, ranging from a love-hate dynamic towards their profession to a deep-seated disappointment with its ability to enact positive societal change. The repeated exposure to trauma has led them to a loss of faith in journalism’s potential to serve the public good, fostering a sense of powerlessness and futility among practitioners. Moreover, this study sheds light on shifts in journalistic practice. Journalists describe how they infuse their work with personal emotions as a means of coping with the intensity of the stories they cover. They elaborate on the deteriorating working conditions brought about after years of crises but also highlight the emotional toll of permacrisis as an important factor that leads them to choose ‘lighter’ beats or exit the profession entirely. This study is unique in documenting permacrisis’ impact on journalists in Southern Europe, emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding of their experiences.