Italian journalists suffer from stress, low pay, and precarious work; AI offers tools but raises ethical concerns.
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Journalists in Italy suffer from instability, low salaries, pressure to stay connected, and fast pacing, according to research showing high rates of stress (87%), anxiety (73%), inadequacy (68%), burnout, anger, internet addiction, and depression among professionals, many of whom are freelancers. Research by IrpiMedia (2023) focused on mental health but did not include AI’s impact. Similarly, a toolkit from the Greek newspaper Solomon highlights that mental health issues in journalism are linked to working conditions, financial constraints, and press freedom threats, emphasizing the need for cultural change within newsrooms. While initial experiences with AI suggest it can ease administrative tasks, find information, and improve language accessibility, journalists caution against using it to write entirely from scratch due to ethical concerns. Major worries surrounding AI include increased loneliness, copyright infringement regarding training data, the rise of fake news, algorithmic bias, and job displacement fears among freelancers. Salaries remain a critical issue; in Italy, many earn very little, with freelance rates being particularly low, which threatens journalistic independence. Experts stress that mental well-being must be integrated into media operations through concrete policies and cultural shifts.
