FOLLOW-UP: Editorialiste Reader Questions Author of Burnout Study

Remember my previous post about journalists burning out (Do You Feel Burned Out? Journalists Are At Risk, Study Says)?

Well, The Editorialiste reader Simon Owens took the next step -- naturally, for a journalist -- and asked study author and Ball State instructor Dr. Scott Reinardy more questions about burnout over at Bloggasm. As it turns out, Reinardy's just explored the tip of the iceberg, and that this survey was only the first of several to come:

Those intending to leave indicate that they will freelance, enter public relations, move into academia or return to school to advance their education in another area,” he replied. “Those are the primary answers. It’s really a mixed bagged, but the fact remains that there is a substantial percentage who intend to get out.”

He further speculated that many might try their hands at online media, and that those who do want to move away from newspapers but remain in the media have plenty of opportunities elsewhere.

Read more of Simon's questions, and Reinardy's answers, here. Thanks, Simon!

Do You Feel Burned Out? Journalists Are At Risk, Study Says

According to a study by Dr. Scott Reinardy of Ball State University [via Gawker]:

"With a moderate rate of exhaustion, a high rate of cynicism and a moderate rate of professional efficacy, burnout among journalists demonstrate higher rates of burnout than previous work. Additionally, journalists expressing intentions to leave the profession...demonstrated high rates of exhaustion and cynicism, and moderate rates of professional efficacy, making them “at-risk” for burnout. Also, 74.5 percent of journalists 34 and younger...expressed intentions to either leave newspaper journalism or answered “don’t know.” The most “at-risk” to burnout appear to be young copy editors or page designers working at small newspapers."

What does this all mean? Time for more sunlight, like those photographers. Oh, and this:

"Perhaps lost in this evolutionary period of newspaper journalism is the news worker. When he or she is no longer able, or no longer willing, to provide quality journalism, the journalism of crisis won’t be found on Wall Street or in the circulation data. It’ll be found in the newsroom."

Happy Thursday.