“Can I Just Write News Stories?” Chinese Journalists’ Experiences and Wellbeing When Working Online

This study contributes to understanding the transformation of journalistic practices in the digital age by delving into the growing trend of online promotion and networking, in the Chinese context. Against the backdrop of the commodification of all online practices and connections, sometimes considered as a savior for news industries to counter economic challenges, this investigation seeks to uncover how young Chinese journalists experience and perceive their practices in promoting news content and networking with news sources via social media. We find that reporters experience online promotion and networking ambivalently. Specifically, our study participants enjoy the recognition gained from promoting news but question whether this should be compulsory. Regarding networking, participants care about building connections, yet feel exhausted by the pressure to constantly network and bewildered about monetizing such actions. Using relational labor as a framework for analysis, we show that journalists’ practices of promoting news and networking require a substantial personal and professional investment. While the relational labor of journalists at times brings positive feelings and economic benefits to journalists, it also engenders negative emotions, confusion, and moral dilemmas, compromising journalists’ well-being and mental health.