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Broadcast journalist : Salary and conditions

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Case studies

  • Range of typical starting salaries: £15,000 - £22,000. Starting salaries vary significantly between local and national broadcasters.
  • Range of typical salaries at senior level/with experience (e.g. after 10 - 15 years in the role): £22,000- £52,000 but can be over £100,000 in exceptional cases.
  • Wages differ widely depending on the employer and the location.
  • Pay tends to be higher in television than radio. Independent local radio posts tend to offer the lowest starting salaries. Additional allowances may be paid for shift work and unsocial hours and a London weighting may be available. Freelance reporters often have individually negotiated contracts.
  • Working hours typically include regular unsocial hours. Shift work is common, starting early to cover regional news on breakfast radio/television shows or working mid-morning until late evening for afternoon/evening bulletins. Weekend work is often required and most broadcasters do not take public holidays. On-air presenters are less likely to go out on location to cover stories and their working hours may be more predictable/social.
  • The media is a volatile industry, characterised by short-term contract employment. Many broadcast journalists work as freelancers and may have to relocate or travel according to availability of work.
  • Diversity in the media is still an issue. The 2009 census from Skillset: The Sector Skills Council for Creative Media  shows that the percentage of women employed in the industry has fallen from 38% (2006 census) to 27%. The number from Black, Asian or minority ethnic groups is just below 7%, while the percentage of employees with disabilities remains the same at 1%.
  • Initiatives such as BBC Extend , Cultural Diversity Network , Journalism Diversity Fund and George Viner Memorial Fund continue efforts to address this imbalance.
  • Job opportunities can be found across the UK. Work for network stations will tend to be London or regionally based. There are usually more opportunities at local level, through regional stations. Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) has opened many new opportunities across radio and television.
  • The work can be stressful and pressurised; broadcast journalists always work to strict deadlines and need to react as and when a story breaks. The work sometimes involves interacting with people at moments of crisis or tragedy, which can be emotionally challenging.
  • There is frequent travel within a working day and absence from home at night. Overseas work or travel is occasional but more common for specialist correspondents.
 
AGCAS
Written by AGCAS editors
Date: 
January 2011
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