Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This article examines the work of journalists employed in communication offices within key centres of power, specifically, prominent institutions. It explores their professional self-perception, the working conditions they face, and how occupying such positions influences their subsequent career paths. To this end, the study conducted fourteen in-depth interviews with Spanish journalists who hold or have held significant roles in institutional communication offices in this country. Many of these professionals previously worked in the media, and some have returned to journalism after their tenure in administration. The results obtained from these interviews reveal a significant disparity in the levels of pressure experienced by professionals in offices closely tied to political decision-making compared to those in secondary institutions, despite similar financial compensation. Moreover, the study confirms that professionals working near major centres of power—referred to as “nuclear reactors” in their own words—encounter greater challenges when returning to journalism and the media due to increased political stigmatisation. Additionally, the interviews show that journalists in such offices experience stress and work pressures on a par with or exceeding those encountered in media roles.
Source: Journalism and Media
Author: Joaquín Aguar Torres
Institution: Universitat de València
Language: English
Subfield: Communication
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,207
Award: G2657551064
OpenAlex ID: W4409456330