Almost three-quarters of media employees have a salary that is lower than the average

Almost three-quarters of Montenegrin media employees, 73,5 percent, receive a salary that is lower than the average salary in Montenegro, according to a survey on the socio-economic position of journalists and other media professionals.

The research presented at a press conference by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Media Union (SMCG) showed that 0,4 percent of employees have a salary of less than 450 euros, 7,3 percent from 450 to 600 euros, 29,1 percent have an income of 601 to 800 euros, and 36,8 percent from 801 to one thousand euros.

According to the survey, 16,9 percent of employees have a salary of 1.001 to 1,2 EUR, 4,6 percent have a salary of 1.201 to 1,5 EUR, 1,9 percent have a salary of more than 1,5 EUR, and 3,1 percent of respondents did not want to answer.

A researcher from DeFacto Consultancy, Slaven Živković, said that most journalists have a permanent employment contract, almost 80 percent.

"Most journalists had a salary increase in the past year. The majority of journalists, 75,9 percent, stated that their employer regularly pays their social and health insurance contributions," Živković said.

He said that most journalists work a regular eight-hour workday.

"The largest percentage of respondents, 56,7 percent, stated that they work six to eight hours a day. However, 28 percent of respondents stated that they work an average of eight to ten hours a day, 3,4 percent more than ten hours," said Živković.

As reported, overtime work is more pronounced in private media - 35 percent of journalists work several times a week or almost every day, while in public media such intensity is less common - 28 percent.

The survey showed that the majority of journalists, 91 percent, feel very or mostly safe at work, while a smaller share, seven percent, say they feel mostly or very unsafe.

"More than half of the respondents, 53,3 percent, assess their stress level as high or very high, while an additional 33,3 percent report a moderate level of stress," the survey showed.

Živković said that the research was conducted using a combined methodological approach.

As he explained, a structured survey was conducted from October 15 to November 19, surveying 261 respondents from 61 media outlets, and four focus groups were conducted with 29 participants, which included both public and private media.

Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, Giovanni Gabassi, said that this day is an opportunity to recognize the key role of journalists in democratic societies, in holding those in power accountable, but also to highlight the constant challenges that journalists face, such as threats and intimidation, and demanding working conditions.

He said that impunity for attacks on media professionals, including the murder of Duško Jovanović, should be particularly highlighted.

"The Mission and the Union are jointly implementing activities aimed at improving the safety of journalists, which includes psychological support, with particular attention to the safety of female journalists and those who investigate organized crime and corruption," Gabasi said.

As he said, one of their joint activities is the research they presented today.

Gabasi added that the initial study was conducted in 2014, and since that year the global media landscape has continued to change, influenced by new technologies, global trends and new challenges.

"The rapid development of digital journalism, changes in audience habits, as well as the introduction of artificial intelligence, have become a reality in Montenegro," said Gabasi.

He stressed that, based on the qualitative and quantitative data of the new report, it is clear that journalists and media professionals continue to face varying degrees of adverse conditions, including challenges related to labor rights, low wages, gender inequality, as well as safety and security.

Gabasi said that journalism is a difficult profession, which the data strongly confirms.

“More than half of respondents report high levels of work-related stress, while 69 percent identify burnout or emotional exhaustion as a common occurrence. Many focus group participants also indicated that they are expected to be available outside of regular working hours, including weekends and holidays,” said Gabasi.

According to him, the findings regarding young journalists are also worrying.

"More than nine out of ten respondents see political or editorial pressure as a key factor deterring young people from entering journalism, while six out of ten cite low starting salaries as a major obstacle," Gabasi said.

The President of SMCG, Radomir Krackovic, emphasized that efforts must be made to ensure that media employees are better paid, have better working conditions, and thus be motivated to fight for the survival and progress of the profession.

He pointed to the weak social dialogue, which is the main instrument for improving the position of media employees.

"There are few media outlets that have collective agreements," said Krackovic, adding that their years of efforts to push for a sector-wide collective agreement are still not yielding results.

Krackovic pointed out that the research data is a clear indicator that this is necessary and that it should not be postponed any longer.