Italian freelance journalists are not alright

Giuliana Sias embarked on her journalism career in 2010 with a bold move. Fresh out of university, she sent a daring email to the esteemed journalist Concita de Gregorio, then editor-in-chief of L’Unità, a left-leaning daily known for being a training ground for many of Italy's top journalists. Sias’ email was a critique of the Italian journalism landscape, arguing that breaking into the field required either connections or an expensive journalism school background. That bold email was well-received, and helped her land a collaboration with the local newsroom in Bologna. Over the next two years, she wrote over 800 articles as a contributor and earned her press card, hoping to secure a permanent position. However, in 2013, the Bologna newsroom shut down.

"Unfortunately, my career began just as the Italian media industry started to crumble. Newsrooms were closing or becoming inaccessible. There was a wave of early retirements, but those who left were not replaced, and that initiated an era of precariousness in journalism," Sias recalled. Since then, Sias has mainly worked as an external contributor, collaborating with notable outlets like the weekly L’Espresso. Yet, she has struggled to find a stable position, a common plight for many Italian journalists who are forced to freelance due to the lack of better opportunities.

Alessandra Costante, Secretary General of FNSI, the union of the Italian Press, explained to The Fix how labor law reforms over the past 20 years have created a grey area that allows understaffed newsrooms to rely heavily on precarious external contributors. “This situation masks what should be regular employment under national contracts and leaves freelancers without guarantees and protections, including fair remuneration.” The result is stark: according to data from INPGI, the Italian Journalists' Social Security Institute, in 2021 there were over 30,000 freelance journalists compared to about 14,000 employed journalists. This means approximately six out of ten active journalists were freelancers, earning an average gross yearly income of just €15,641.

“Additionally, the Italian Order of Journalists records around 100,000 members, creating a reserve army of labor. This makes it easy for employers to find someone willing to accept lower pay if a worker refuses,” Costante said. The FNSI has faced criticism for its prolonged focus on employed journalists, rendering independent and freelance workers invisible. "These accusations come from a group understandably outraged by very challenging working conditions, but they fail to consider the complexity of the situation in which our union has been striving to make a difference," responded Costante. 

According to Sias, things could have turned out very differently. "In 2013, I helped organise the first national strike of external contributors at L’Unità, with employed staff showing solidarity by not signing their articles. The effort was immense, given the negligible negotiation power of external contributors. Unfortunately, newspapers did not cover our protest, likely fearing a 'contagion.' Despite this unprecedented unity between precarious and employed workers, we were overshadowed. Who knows, a victory could have changed the paradigm," she wondered.

In 2023, the Italian investigative reporting project IRPI, in collaboration with FNSI and other professional associations, conducted an anonymous survey on the well-being of Italian freelance journalists. The investigation, titled “Come ti senti?” (“How do you feel?”), gathered responses from 558 professionals nationwide and revealed alarming trends: 87% reported suffering from stress, 73% from anxiety, and more than 40% experienced burnout syndrome, unmotivated anger attacks, and dependence on the internet and social networks. One in three explicitly mentioned depression. Among the stress factors, 85% of respondents cited low compensation as the most impactful on their psychological well-being. This was followed by job insecurity (83%), the need to always be connected and available (76%), hectic work rhythms (70%), and hyper-competitiveness (65%). The investigation also revealed a series of gender-based abuses against female journalists, including sexual harassment, belittling of personal abilities, and generally more challenging careers.

Alice Facchini, the author of the investigation and a freelancer herself, wasn't particularly surprised by the results. However, she found it noteworthy that, even though the survey didn't include this option, several respondents spontaneously mentioned alcohol, tobacco, and other substance abuse as coping mechanisms.

One story that resonated with Facchini involves Giacomo (a pseudonym for privacy). After graduating, Giacomo left a permanent job to pursue his dream of journalism. He tried to make ends meet with other jobs while working unpaid at a local newspaper, with promises that sponsors would eventually come. He delved into far-right movements, the Nigerian mafia, and exploited workers' rights, often facing dangerous situations and threats. Eventually, he had to abandon certain investigations due to a lack of support from his outlet and the inability to afford legal battles. The stress took a toll on his health, distancing him from loved ones and leaving him isolated. One day, while reporting on illegal labor in the fields around his city, he recalled, "The laborers told me they worked under the sun for three euros an hour, and instead of feeling empathy, I felt only great anger: I earned zero euros an hour, yet no one told my story." With the onset of the pandemic, Giacomo could no longer cover his expenses, leading him to quit journalism and return to his parents' home. Now, at 34, embittered and unemployed, he must rethink his life.

The situation is not much easier for those who, from an outsider's perspective, seem to have made it. Lorenzo Fantoni, a freelance journalist specialised in video games and pop culture, writes for various prominent Italian newspapers and online publications. He frequently travels abroad for work and press tours and is a regular guest at talks and festivals.

“When I started this job, I thought that at the end of this hard mountain climb, once I reached the top, there would be a shelter, some sort of destination. But I recently realised that at the mountain top, there is nothing.”

This relentless pace is not always easy. Already in his forties, Fantoni finds it harder to keep up. “I’m not that person anymore who could effortlessly write two articles per day.” Currently, Fantoni covers half of his income with journalism, supplementing the rest with other communication-related jobs. He feels that the scaffolding holding his freelancing career together could collapse at any moment. 

This precarious situation, Fantoni admits, forces journalists to cling to their contacts and privileged channels, fostering competition among peers. For Sias, the lack of economic stability doesn't hinder collaboration among colleagues; instead, it makes everyone more docile, nicer, and more hypocritical. “People are fearful of being excluded from their group and finding themselves alone,” she said.

Facchini, however, believes the dynamic is changing, with more initiatives aimed at networking and mutual support emerging in Italy. Lo Spioncino dei Freelance (The Freelancer’s Peephole) is a portal designed to make news outlet rates transparent through a public database. “Unlike in other countries, where outlets clearly explain how to write a proposal, to whom to send it, and what the rate is, in Italy the economic aspect still seems shrouded in mystery,” she explained.

Meanwhile, the independent journalism collective Fada has created a WhatsApp group and a Slack channel for those who want to embrace mutual support, sharing concrete resources on compensation and rights.

Despite these grassroots solutions, the situation remains grim. “Outlets prefer to rely on an excessive number of bylines rather than retaining the most skilled contributors. Therefore, the number of articles each newspaper publishes per person monthly is too low for anyone to make a living from it,” reflected Sias.

In Italy, there is a widespread consensus that the digital transformation of media has led to a decline in quality. Even esteemed outlets have succumbed to clickbait, sensationalism, and a focus on maximising traffic at the expense of journalistic standards. This trend has been particularly pronounced during the pandemic, fostering a growing awareness among certain readers that quality journalism comes at a cost and cannot be free. The success of Il Post, an innovative online outlet with a thriving membership program, demonstrates that digital media can flourish and create quality jobs with the right business model. However, such success stories in Italy remain the exception rather than the rule.

Facchini warned that in the current climate, journalism is increasingly becoming a profession reserved for the privileged few, who are better equipped to navigate its instability and challenges. “I see the risk of an information landscape heavily biased on numerous social issues, as journalists from less affluent backgrounds, who could offer fresh perspectives and diverse viewpoints, are being excluded. No wonder that certain groups of readers are feeling disillusioned or angry with the Italian media because they don't feel represented, and their issues are ignored."