Exit with My Colleagues: Exploring Collaborative Career Change of Journalists to High-Tech Roles

This empirical study contributes to the existing body of research on journalists leaving their profession due to challenging working conditions, inadequate compensation, and heightened levels of stress. By employing a three-fold research approach, encompassing in-depth interviews, the Walkthrough Method on messaging forums, and a descriptive survey, this paper presents novel findings on the exit process and sheds light on the collaborative aspect of journalists transitioning to high-tech alternative careers. Through interviews with current and former journalists who have successfully shifted to the high-tech industry, the study reveals the underlying motivations driving this career transition and uncovers the unexpected network of support facilitating journalists’ departure from journalism. Additionally, this research raises concerns about the potential implications of this significant exodus in the field of journalism, highlighting the need for further examination and attention to this issue.