Broadcast news reporters have some of the most stressful jobs in America. According to the American Psychological Association, they are respectively ranked 5th and 6th behind military, police, firefighters, and social workers. Business News Daily mentions specific news business stressors including deadlines and job insecurity. It goes on to note stress factors unique to our line of work:
“While police officers and members of the military protect us, news reporters and broadcasters are tasked with objectively sharing essential news that can affect people’s day-to-day lives. They may be looked down upon for their line of work by some or – even worse – publicly exposed in a way that could lead to potential harm.”
There are layers of stress implied in that paragraph: increasing public disdain and mistrust of the news media and its impact on individual broadcasters and reporters. On the topic of job insecurity, we in the News Talk Radio business increasingly find ourselves competing with a seemingly infinite number of nonprofessional sources of information. Some of which are quite good, while many others muddy the water and constantly erode public confidence in journalism. A Gallup Poll found twenty-eight percent of U.S. adults surveyed say they don’t have much confidence in the media, with an additional 38% saying they have none at all.
As if that’s not alarming enough, Axios recently reported on a Pew study that found a whopping 87% of Americans have more faith in the news they hear on podcasts than from other sources.
What else? Well, relationships between managers and reporters, added responsibilities, declining salaries, HR concerns, the so-called Cancel Culture, and the terrible truth we seldom talk about: radio is largely unrecognized as a legitimate source of information. Among all news sources, radio is the fair-haired stepchild in the minds of writers who frequently ignore its existence in discussions of journalism and news reporting; movies and television shows seem to think all broadcast journalists are on TV.
I’ve worked with some of the smartest, most dedicated professional radio writers and reporters that you will find anywhere. I’m proud to have introduced and interviewed radio journalists who have investigative chops as thorough and rigorous as stars of the New York Times and any of the national networks. But as far as those media platforms are concerned radio is staffed by deejays, old-school rip-and-readers, and smartass talk hosts.
It’s okay. More people listen to news and talk radio than watch TV news these days. Newspapers are disappearing, but the condescension still sticks in my gullet.
Burnout may be the biggest cause of job-related stress, and it takes its toll on people in all career fields. You can get tired of managing widget sales but it most likely won’t ruin your respect for humanity. Teaching can do that and so can reporting news.
Since my retirement a year ago today I’ve intentionally stayed away from most news except local weather and sports. Aside from the getting up at 2:30 AM, I truly loved my job. However, the sad and depressing nature of much news is insidious. It was slowly eating away at me over the decades. While I like to think it didn’t affect my performance, I had no appetite for it when my job ended.
According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, burnout is defined as stress-induced “physical, emotional or mental exhaustion, accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance and negative attitudes towards oneself and others.”
That was me.
I’m starting to peek at the news a bit now and find that my reaction is tempered by the time off and perspective, understanding of what happened to darken my view of the people and stories that affect our everyday lives. More than ever we’re all getting burned out by the inhumanity and tragedies, culture shocks, political rants, and the general withdrawal of Americans from our national concerns that need and deserve our common interest and effort.
How can you reduce job stress? In my experience, the best way is to compartmentalize your life. Establish nonwork hours and stick to them as rigorously as possible. During that time stay away from email and news notifications. Make plans to spend time with your friends and family. Watch dumb TV shows. Read a book. Walk the dog.
Make sure you get enough sleep. I can’t overemphasize that enough. As a morning anchor, I found myself inexplicably sinking into depression until my doctor explained that I was severely sleep-deprived. He told me to cut out the naps and get to bed two hours earlier. It worked.
The other thing that helped me through 40+ years of daily examinations of current events and opinions was leaving it all in the newsroom. When I left the building, my workday was over.
Finally, I’d like to encourage you to remember why you got into the business in the first place. I’ve known very few people who wound up in radio news and talk studios without truly loving the sense of doing something fascinating and important. You were born to inform and entertain. Double down on the dedication that got your foot in the door in the first place. Rededicate yourself to the highest standards of the industry. Talk with colleagues you respect and admire. Discuss the craft in specific terms. Learn from them, teach them. Get excited again, darn it.
But when you go home leave it behind.
The world will get along without you until tomorrow.
