By Remy Raitt

“I think people believe that journalism is fun,” says Johannesburg North Caxton local newspapers editor Megan Mclean. “That you can slap a few words together and bam, you have a story.” She says that being a journalist can be emotionally draining.  “People don’t always realise that with the fun comes tight deadlines and tragic stories. I think every journalist in our newsroom is haunted by a story they struggled with or are not able to get out of their minds.”

Dreaded deadlines

Every journalist knows the shadow a looming deadline casts. No matter the type of journalism it is, deadlines are a daily reality which turn up stress levels and activate panic modes. The fact that journalists have to rely on sources before they can get their work done adds to this pressure. Freelance writer Layla Leiman says having to constantly nag people for responses is a lousy part of the job.

Office hours don’t always apply

Chasing deadlines also means working late. News doesn’t always break within traditional office hours and a good journalist is available to cover a story no matter what time it is. “You also spend a lot of your time, especially after hours, at events,” says Mclean, “which means you are not with your family – no one ever said journalism was a nine to five job.”

Salaries are squat

“There isn't a lot of money to be made in writing, particularly in the online space,” says Leiman. “Jobs and paying opportunities are limited. In South Africa, there is also the fallacy that online publications are inferior to print.” Chron.com states that one drawback applicable to almost all journalists’ is low starting pay. Although there is a bit of money to be made in broadcasting and higher editorial positions, extravagant yearly holidays aren’t on the cards for most news people.

Its hard work

“Writing is not easy,” says Leiman. “It takes time, sometimes inordinately long periods to write even the shortest thing. And then there's the question of whether anyone even reads it.” Mclean says writing for varied audiences is also tricky. “As the group editor of a number of local publications, one of my challenges is to write something that is local, but still relatable. I have to find something that both the guy working in a spaza in Alex, as well as the businessman in Sandton can relate to.”

There are bright sides

Journalism is not a glamorous profession. “I think there is this misconception that writers get schmoozed a lot, but I think this is perpetuated by personal bloggers. And no one should take them seriously.” However there are some advantages that come with the territory. Media passes and the opportunity to attend high profile events and interview interesting people are all pluses.

“A large part of my job, before writing, is being informed about who's doing what and what's going on. So constantly researching and discovering new things is what I think is the best, albeit inadvertent, perk of the job,” says Leiman.

Like any profession there are pros and cons. They may spend time away from their family and never be rolling in riches but the thrill of nailing a story is one every journalist relishes.

Are you a journalist? What are the up and downsides of your job?