The latest study "paints a picture of a profession that is financially fragile but creatively thriving, with most freelancers determined to stay despite low and volatile rates"
A major new study has lifted the lid on what it's really like to be a freelance journalist in the UK today — and the findings reveal a profession caught between passion and poverty.
The report, based on surveys of over 400 freelancers plus interviews with commissioning editors, paints a picture of a workforce that's deeply committed to the craft but struggling to make it pay.
Here's the headline paradox: whilst 59% of freelancers say flexibility is what matters most to them (far outweighing earning potential at just 18%), a whopping 73% are unhappy with what they actually earn. Yet somehow, seven in ten still plan to keep freelancing.
The typical UK freelancer is mid-career (aged 30–49), female (75%), white (83%) and highly educated — 88% hold a degree. But there's more ethnic diversity than you'd find in most staff newsrooms, and nearly one in five freelancers reports living with a physical or mental impairment.
Income is all over the map. Whilst the largest groups earn between £20,000 and £40,000 annually, 15% make less than £5,000 a year. For many, freelance journalism is just part of the puzzle — only 29% earn all their income from it.
Low rates aren't just annoying; they're a dealbreaker. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of freelancers have turned down work because the pay was too poor. Yet only 5% always negotiate rates, suggesting many feel they lack the leverage or know-how to push back.
From the other side of the desk, commissioning editors acknowledge the squeeze. Tightening budgets mean increased scrutiny on every pound spent, even as they recognise that freelancers bring geographic reach, specialist knowledge and diverse voices they cannot get any other way.
Perhaps the most damning finding: only 6% of freelancers say their journalism training adequately prepared them for freelancing. Nearly half (45%) say it didn't cover it at all, whilst 29% had no journalism training to begin with.
That gap translates directly into weaker pitching skills, confusion about rates and limited business acumen — all of which keep earnings and confidence low.
The report's authors identify four clear levers for improvement: transparent commissioning and faster payments; rate cards that reflect the true cost of reporting; practical training on pitching, pricing and business skills throughout a journalist's career; and support for alternative revenue streams that don't compromise editorial ethics.
Freelance journalism in 2024/25, the report concludes, is "viable as a craft and calling, but fragile as a business."
Read the full report here:
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