"I love my job, but my job is destroying me". Permacrisis' toll on journalistic practice and perceptions about journalism in Southern Europe.

This study investigates the impact of the prolonged cycle of global crises, termed "permacrisis," on journalists in Southern Europe—specifically Greece, Spain, and Cyprus—focusing on their perceptions of journalism and changes in journalistic practice. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 30 experienced journalists, the research reveals that repeated exposure to traumatic events and deteriorating working conditions have led to emotional exhaustion, loss of faith in journalism's societal role, and a love-hate relationship with the profession. Journalists report incorporating more personal emotions into their work as a coping mechanism, while many consider leaving the profession or shifting to less emotionally demanding beats due to the combined pressures of emotional labor and job precarity. The findings highlight significant challenges to press freedom and underscore the need for improved support and working conditions to sustain quality journalism in the region.