The future of PR is ‘fantastic’, ‘friendly’ and ‘funny’: Occupational stereotypes and symbolic capital in entry-level job advertisements

Seeking “skilled, poised, fluent” verbal communicators: Aesthetic labor and signaling in journalism job advertisements

“…This study found that employers-particularly in the broadcast sector and less so in the newspaper sector-signal through job advertisements that journalists should have excellent interpersonal skills and be self-assured, eloquent and highly fluent speakers. Results suggest that some journalism employers, much like employers in other fields (Bhargava & Theunissen, 2019;Warhurst et al, 2000), consider "sounding right" to be part of having good interpersonal skills and an appealing personality. This profile of the ideal type may limit diversity of applicants by excluding people who have speech anxiety, or speech and language disorders who could perform job duties with adaptations and employer support.…”

“…Personal attributes and formal credentials combine to form a “personality package,” and “those who do not fit the ideal type are often discouraged from entering the profession, which may result in normalizing occupational closure and limiting diversity” (Bhargava & Theunissen, 2019, p. 2). This study explores how journalism job advertisements signal to applicants what employers consider the “ideal type” of communication—including what speech skills and attributes are necessary to be hired.…”

“…Evidence that verbal dexterity is valued in the workplace comes primarily from national surveys of employers. One such survey found that more than two-thirds of companies in a variety of sectors seek job candidates with excellent verbal communication skills (National Association of Colleges and Employers, 2018)—a desire often reflected in job advertisements (Bhargava & Theunissen, 2019). “An important aspect of these ‘excellent communication skills’, and in an interpersonal exchange arguably the most obvious, is speech.…”

“…Job advertisements include a range of signals that help applicants and the hiring organization assess mutual fit (Spence, 1973). Presentation of occupational fit through job advertisements is an overlooked area of media research (Bhargava & Theunissen, 2019). “It is here where existing practitioners communicate their ‘ideal’ type and where new entrants decide whether they meet those criteria; it is one of the first steps in closing or opening the occupation to diverse entrants” (Bhargava & Theunissen, 2019, p. 4).…”

“…Using signaling theory (Spence, 1973), this study investigates this topic with a thematic analysis of U.S. journalism job listings ( n = 510) for positions that require significant verbal communication (e.g., reporters, anchors and newsroom managers). Examining language used in job advertisements provides insights into how news organizations define journalistic work (Bhargava & Theunissen, 2019). This study focuses on interactional expertise, that is, journalists’ ability to communicate in various settings (Guo & Volz, 2019).…”