The Los Angeles Times laid off more than 115 journalists Tuesday, at the start of an election year and amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Nearly all remaining writers and editors at Sports Illustrated were notified Jan. 19 they would soon be laid off. Other prominent publications like The Washington Post are struggling to avoid similar cuts. 

The Israel-Hamas war has worsened many of the challenges within the journalism industry, including social and political polarization and threats to the physical safety of reporters. Some students in the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism said they are experiencing the effects and reconsidering their relationship with journalism.

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“I have just lost all faith in journalism,” said an anonymous senior majoring in journalism. “It’s very easy now to detect the bias in the reporting about the issue … you see a lot of legacy organizations censoring their staff over this topic, which is completely antithetical to what freedom of the press is supposed to be.”

The senior was recently accepted to the progressive degree program at the Marshall School of Business to earn a Master of Science in marketing. Prior to the Israel-Hamas war, the senior said they were considering the master’s program as a back-up option, but they no longer plan to pursue a career in journalism at all. 

Lexi Rosser, a freshman majoring in journalism, is hoping to pursue broadcast journalism. Witnessing the circumstances of reporters covering the Israel-Hamas war has made her reconsider some of her options for how to pursue broadcasting. 

“Learning about the effects that this Israel-Hamas war has had on war correspondent journalists really is scary as a journalism student,” Rosser said. “It has made me solidify my decision of never wanting to be a war correspondent.”

Rosser said in addition to her concerns about becoming a war correspondent, she is also worried about the emotional and financial challenges associated with a journalism career. She said there is a joke within the Annenberg community that students interested in journalism and a stable financial future shouldn’t marry other journalists. 

Joe Saltzman, director of the Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture and a professor of journalism and communication, said there is some validity to jokes like these. He also said, in his experience, the fulfillment journalists can receive from their work can sometimes supplement the lack of financial compensation. 

“I think students are aware that salaries are not as great as they should be,” Saltzman said. “The ones who become journalists go in [the field] to help people and to really make a difference.” 

Worries about layoffs can still be a deterrent for some students who want to stick with journalism despite their concerns about objectivity or political polarization.

When the University started breaking ground for Annenberg Hall in 2012 to expand Annenberg, Director of the School of Journalism Gordon Stables said students and parents questioned why the University continued to invest in journalism education during a period of massive cutbacks in the industry.

“The answer that I remember we gave very clearly is basically a version of the answer today, which is that journalism — if we understand it as ethical, precise storytelling — [has] never been more valuable and more necessary,” Stables said. “The challenge is, the ways that people are familiar [with the industry] are changing and destabilizing.” 

The anonymous senior also said they feel discouraged about the layoffs occurring in the journalism industry. 

“It’s just becoming way more competitive, and with the layoffs it’s just really discouraging even coming out of Annenberg knowing that we have a much better chance than people coming out of every other journalism school,” the senior said. 

Saltzman said students have a variety of career choices in journalism that avoid backlash and danger, if they choose.

“There are many jobs in journalism where you’re not going to risk your life,” said Saltzman. “But if you crave the excitement of going out and covering the stories in person, there are whole groups of stories that won’t endanger you. And there’s some stories that will, but you just will have to make the decision whether you want to cover those.”

Despite changing career plans, the senior said they do not regret their choices about how to spend their undergraduate experience because they feel that their skills will be transferable for many career paths. 

Some Annenberg faculty — such as Vince Gonzales, a professor of professional practice of journalism and associate director for journalism graduate programs —  are optimistic about the changing journalism landscape. 

“There’s more ways to tell stories about communities that used to be ignored, to address issues that used to never get past the gatekeepers,” Gonzales said. “In a way, it’s a very vibrant time. It’s also in the midst of a lot of disruption, and that is what scares some people, too.”