In response to CISLM’s burnout research, American Press Institute has released a variety of resources to help journalists navigate burnout.
Following more than a decade of layoffs and consolidation in the local news industry, 70% of journalists have experienced work-related burnout, according to a new survey from the Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media. Women and young people are more likely to experience burnout in newsrooms.
This work-related stress response that happens when you’re insufficiently supported or when you feel a disconnect between who you are, what your values are and what you do day-to-day, isn’t new in the media industry. Factors such as low pay, adapting to new technology and pressure to meet high standards have increased in recent years for many newsrooms, and even though burnout is an occupational phenomenon, most journalists don’t have the power to change the organizations they work for.
The American Press Institute recently held a session on reassessing and repairing journalists’ relationships with work. The virtual event was led by Sam Ragland, API’s vice president of journalism programs, who has experienced burnout even though she thought she was immune to it. Since the start of the pandemic, Ragland has been studying the hazards of being a journalist, collaborating with trauma therapists and getting certified in digital wellness to coach and support journalists in their stress response.
Read the entire article on American Press Institute’s website.