Journalists who work in the consumer magazine sector are the happiest in the industry, a survey has found.
Over the summer, more than 700 journalists completed an anonymous Press Gazette survey.
Of these, 33 – including 14 freelances who work primarily or solely in the sector – said they worked in consumer magazines.
On average, they rated their place of work at 7.7 out of ten. And 31 out of the 33 said they enjoyed their job.
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Taking freelances out of the equation, consumer magazine journalists rated their job 8.1 out of ten and 18 out of 19 said they enjoyed their job.
This compared with 7.3 for freelances generally, 6.7 for business-to-business journalists, 6.6 for online journalists, 6.1 for regional newspaper journalists and 5.9 for news agency journalists.
Asked what they disliked about their job, an editor at Immediate Media said: "Job insecurity. Experienced journalists being laid off and replaced by cheaper, inexperienced, barely literate post-graduates. It's called 'new talent'."
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A DC Thomson sub-editor also listed job security, saying "assurances have been followed by sackings".
A freelance technology journalist said: "Commercial/advertising pressures infringing on editorial independence. Declining rates for work. A constantly declining well of consumer-facing places to work for – although corporate work seems to be holding up."
A men's magazine editor said: "Advertising tactics, declining readership, Google's power over online journalism."
And a Which? journalist said: "Commercial pressure, lack of editorial values."
Meanwhile, a financial sub-editor bemoaned the "move towards web first" and criticised a "lack of subbing in web content".
Another consumer magazine journalist said: "Lack of training, lack of investment in online and social media, shrinking budgets for content."
And a Time Inc employee said: "Magazine editors are almost always dreadful managers."
Asked what they liked about their job, one journalist wrote: "Good work/life balance – no long hours culture here."
A deputy editor wrote: "Despite everything that's happened to magazine journalism we can still create brilliant stuff."
A features journalist said: "Team spirit, fresh magazine content, hours."
A Time Inc journalist said: "The people are great, the job is enjoyable, the environment is pleasing."
And an Immediate Media journalist wrote: "Good facilities and benefits, nice atmosphere, relaxed line manager."
There are 64,000 people in the UK who call themselves journalists, according to the Government's Labour Force Survey.
And in June last year Press Gazette – as part of a project to mark the publication's 50th birthday – launched a survey to find out who they are, where they work, how much they earn, what they do, what concerns they have about their work and whether they enjoy their jobs.
Over three weeks, more than 700 people filled in the survey after it was promoted on the Press Gazette website, on Twitter and via email
The full survey, which is no longer open for entries, is below.
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