Burnout in journalism

So burnout isn't a new phenomenon, but it's certainly become more visible recently. Here's the latest example:



I know a majority of us (if not all) have felt this way, but is it crazy to think people are leaving good gigs because of feeling burned out?

 

Working 60 to 70, getting paid for 40 and never receiving a raise or praise is tough for some to handle. It's really a rotten profession. Like I've said before it's a vocation, an addictive adrenaline profession. But good reporters are treated very poorly and so undervalued burnout can set in. ... Not sure why so many suits fail to have it in them to dish out praise. It's odd.
"You're lucky you have a job," seems to be the mantra of the suits in dealing with the peons.

 

Those leaving good gigs because of burn out may feel more secure in taking that path thanks to having made a higher salary.

That said, plenty of local journalists are leaving because of burnout, too. They may be waiting for another job, rather than taking time off, but they're still leaving.

So it's not just people leaving good jobs because of burnout. Those folks may just be able to do it without having something lined up.

 

This particular journalist (in the tweet) has been through quite a bit in the last 3-4 years. And almost every journalist had one hell of a hard year in 2020.

That said, when that journalist wants to come back, she will, with as good of a job as before. And perhaps there'll be a few well-paying "burnout" essays and speaking gigs between jobs.

The person working 60 at a local newspaper or TV station who walks away from burnout...usually is done with the business.

 

Isn't this whole board an example of the effect of burnout?

 

Yes.

It's also an example of layoffs and the massive downsizing of the news business.

Twenty-plus years ago, the "night crew" would finish its shift at a daily newspaper or local TV station and decompress while shooting the shit and solving the problems of the world, whether still at work or at a bar.

In 2021, it's maybe two or three people staffing those places each night, and they're scrambling for eight-plus hours to get done what used to be done by twice as many people.

When you finish that, you're too mentally fried to do anything but trudge home.

Then the next day you come to SJ.com to decompress, shoot the shit and solve the problems of the world!

 

I can only imagine how tough it is these days, busting your ass to run down a story, nail every fact and when it comes out - a big part of the reading public will just ignore it and call it "fake news." One of the minor positives of the job was seeing your work have some impact. Maybe just get people to notice a problem, react to a need, or answer a long-vexing question. Now? With circulation what it is and a disbelieving public - I understand people wondering what the use of it is.

 

That's what makes the recent events noteworthy. It makes sense for people working for smaller circs to leave via burnout.

But those at bigger outlets who seemingly have the resources/salary to offset some of the symptoms? That seems new.

 

I don't think circulation size has much to do with it.

I'm increasingly feeling stretched to a breaking point. The pandemic is certainly responsible for a lot of that, but at the most basic level... a big part of my job is tracking and reporting the actions of complete assholes. I don't want to do that any more.

My wife is a very intelligent, happy person. I would bet she has no idea who Lauren Boebert is. I'm growing insanely jealous of that.

Current events are exhausting and depressing and infuriating and it's only getting worse.

I've also been doing this long enough that I'm paid decently and have a shitload of vacation time, and that's been holding me back from bailing. I'm not sure that's going to do it for much longer.

 

Maybe I'm just lucky enough to work for a company that doesn't know or care, but when it comes to doing more with less...instead of running myself ragged trying to do the work of three people, I just level with folks. "Upset that we're not running agate anymore? I get it, but we don't have the man hours to do it anymore — plus our deadlines have been moved up because our press got sold. Something had to give, and it's not going to be my home life. It's going to be the least efficient use of resources. Sorry that your kid's third-place finish in the 300 hurdles at that dual meet on Tuesday won't be captured in print for all eternity."

I'm too old to herniate myself while sucking the enjoyment out of a job that I've enjoyed for the better part of 25 years. And fortunately, I've built up enough equity with our readers since I moved here that honesty actually works with most of them.

Most of us will not be able to end our journalism careers on our own terms. The least I can do is do the job on my terms for as long as I can keep it (and hope that the end doesn't come before my parachute is fully packed).

 

I certainly understand how anybody in the business gets burned out. And I assume financially she can afford to just sit around and not work. But I don’t get it — the solution to burnout is to, uh, not make money? The bills don’t pay themselves.

 

Blessing in disguise and they don’t realize it until they’re making 3x as much in marketing or sales