Mizzou study concludes: Journalists are burned out

[Howard Beale 13]

The University of Missouri released the results of a study on journalist burnout.  In short, journalists — especially those in TV news — are burned out.

 

SARCASM ALERT: Yep, I’m sure you’re just as surprised as I am.

 

The study recommends several solutions to the problem, including:

 

• Flexible shifts (e.g. four-day weeks, hybrid/remote shifts)
• Manageable workloads and responsibilities
• A more-supportive culture

 

The study acknowledged but did not suggest pay raises, because pay raises are often beyond a news director’s control and cannot be implemented unless some corner office suit in Irving, Texas or Hunt Valley, Maryland approves it.

 

Read the study here: https://rjionline.org/news/addressing-burnout-in-journalism-means-flexible-shifts-more-supportive-culture-results-of-large-scale-survey-from-rji-and-smithgeiger/

 

My thoughts:

 

• Pay raises are the best solution, but corporate broadcast groups just won’t do it because that will affect the bottom line.
• You can’t have flexible shifts and manageable workloads without enough staff, and many TV newsrooms are short-staffed as is despite producing many hours of daily newscasts.
• TV news is a creature of habit and resistant to change.  I question whether it’s already too late to reverse the brain drain.

[who?cares 253]

Pay raises shouldn't be the only part of an answer. Extra pay is always nice.

But there needs to be a larger more complex answer, and one person shouldn't make the decision.

Station groups need to add to newsroom staff. But again, that's not sole answer. 

I think the two bits I mentioned above are small pieces to the overall answers.

Many newsroom staff members feel like the entire shift rides on them.

It's a feeling that is very overwhelming and quickly draining.

 

[Recovering Producer 99]

38 minutes ago, who?cares said:

Pay raises shouldn't be the only part of an answer. Extra pay is always nice.

But there needs to be a larger more complex answer, and one person shouldn't make the decision.

Station groups need to add to newsroom staff. But again, that's not sole answer. 

I think the two bits I mentioned above are small pieces to the overall answers.

Many newsroom staff members feel like the entire shift rides on them.

It's a feeling that is very overwhelming and quickly draining.

 

As an elder millennial who spent more than a decade in the business, burned out, and quit without a plan, solving this problem is a complex puzzle—and to be quite honest, I don't think there is a simple fix if there is one at all.

Some key points from my experience... 

1. The business expects people to treat it as a lifestyle, not a job. People coming out of college recently have (SMARTLY!) refused to accept this, which leads to potential broadcast journalists not entering the field. And those who do enter still have their priorities in the correct place of needing balance. Just as an anecdote, in late 2016, when it appeared the minimum salary to be exempt (salaried) under Fair Labor Standards Act regulations was going to go up, producers where I worked at the time were switched from salary to hourly pay. They were upset they would get overtime pay for working over 40 hours a week instead of getting a comp day for an extra day or double shift. 

2. The quality of life is crap, and the have/have not with desirable schedules is ugly in a 24/7 business. People would weaponize incompetence themselves into roles where they had maximum supervision but desirable schedules rather than advance into roles where they could be trusted with less management intervention. Drive and ambition lead to a lower quality of life, and if you say "yes" too much to management's requests to work a shift that isn't normal for you or an extra day - you'll get guilted if you stand up for yourself when you need to prioritize your life over work. Refuse to help, and you'll get left alone. 

3. Every role in the newsroom is doing more with less, and every added platform needs your full attention and dedication - even if it is of minimal value to the operation. Does TikTok generate revenue? No. But it still matters for some reason. 

4. The industry is delusional about its prestige and standing in 2024. Companies are still convinced there are 1994 levels of job applicants and still try to sign employees to employment agreements with MASSIVE financial penalties should they resign or quit—even if they leave the industry. Those tactics drive people away before they even start. 

5. There's no delicate way to say this, but the only way to survive in TV news as you start your career - is to have financial support. Even as companies have pushed minimum salaries higher - they still aren't matching the escalating cost of living. This leads to newsrooms full of people from privileged backgrounds who don't understand what matters to the audience members living paycheck to paycheck. An anchor once told me the only place they got recognized was at Walmart or K-Mart, and smartly reminded our team we must keep that in mind as we decide what we will cover. 

6. COVID-19 opened a lot of eyes and accelerated the brain drain. The people who got to work from home realized a higher quality of life was possible and were inspired to find their next career because of it. Many people who were forced to come into the station or work in the field during lockdowns felt like bosses considered their health and safety less important than the people who got to stay home. They got (very understandably) frustrated and left.

 

The list could go on and on... But those are the big factors in my mind.