Tackling burnout in journalism with RJI’s Randy Picht and SmithGeiger’s Andrew Finlayson

Local News Matters

Randy Picht, executive director of the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, and Andrew Finlayson, executive vice president of digital and AI strategies at SmithGeiger, share insights from their landmark study on burnout in journalism. They discuss why 80% of journalists see burnout as a critical issue, how it's driving attrition and the solutions newsroom leaders can implement to foster healthier, more sustainable workplaces.

From addressing workload challenges and newsroom culture to exploring flexible schedules and prioritizing agency, they highlight actionable steps that news organizations of all sizes can take. The conversation also delves into the broader implications of burnout, including its impact on morale, the industry's talent pipeline and journalism's vital role in democracy.

The episode offers a balanced view of the challenges and opportunities facing newsrooms, emphasizing the urgency of addressing these issues while recognizing the passion and purpose that keep many journalists committed to their work.

Episode chapters: (00:02:45) - The RJI study’s goal: Addressing burnout with actionable solutions

(00:10:27) - Why burnout is a critical issue that must be addressed

(00:14:59) - Key findings: Pessimism, lost experience & youth, danger & social media (00:26:24) - Passion under pressure: Why journalists stay despite the challenges (00:31:46) - Top solutions for addressing burnout in newsrooms (00:38:41) - Stop doing lists and balancing flexibility with 24/7 news cycles

(00:44:20) - Surprising findings around vacations and feedback (00:50:37) - Next steps for research and solution development (00:57:05) - Rapid-fire questions (01:09:53) - Media and local recommendations

Links:

• Show notes

• Randy Picht: LinkedIn, Twitter

• Andrew Finlayson: LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram

• Reynolds Journalism Institute

• SmithGeiger Group

• Mentioned

• The State of Work-Life Balance in Journalism report by Muck Rack (see also Poynter article)

• Local recommendations

• Columbia, Missouri

• True/False Film Festival

• Mizzou Tigers (SEC Football)

• Columbia, Missouri Parks and Trails

• Franklin, Tennessee

• Franklin Battlefield and Carton Plantation

• McGavock Confederate Cemetery

• Media recommendations

• Randy

• Slow Horses

• The Ezra Klein Show

• Media Copilot by Pete Pachal

• Andrew

• The Pianist

• Life is Beautiful

• Schindler's List

• Europa Europa

• Downfall

• Local News Matters: web, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

• Pirate Audio

• Colorado Press Association: web, Twitter, Facebook

• Tim Regan-Porter: bio, Twitter

For show notes, transcripts, newsletter sign-up and past guests on the Local News Matters podcast, please visit localnewsmatterspodcast.com or lnmpod.com.

Past guests on the Local News Matters podcast include: Laura Frank (COLab), Jennifer Larino (Lede New Orleans), Katherine Ann Rowlands (Bay City News), Jim O’Rourke (O’Rourke Media Group), Teri Finneman, Nick Mathews and Pat Ferrucci (Reviving Local News), Nic Dawes (THE CITY), Allison Taylor Levine (Local News Initiative Delaware), Crystal Good (Black by God), Lisa Snowden (Baltimore Beat), Karen Rundlet (INN), Jim Brady (Knight Foundation), Candice Fortman (Exit interview, Outlier Media), Jean Friedman-Rudovsky (Resolve Philly), Jay Rosen (NYU), Sue Cross (Exit interview, INN), Mary Margaret White (Mississippi Today), Amy Kovac-Ashley (Tiny News Collective), Michael Shapiro (TAPinto), Kenny Katzgrau (redbankgreen and Broadstreet), John Garrett (Community Impact), Shannon Kinney (Dream Local Digital), Larry Ryckman (The Colorado Sun), Frank Mungeam (Local Media Association), Kelly Ann Scott (Alabama Media Group), Sara Lomax and S. Mitra Kalita (URL Media), Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro (National Trust for Local News), Mike Rispoli and Richard Young (via When the People Decide), Sarabeth Berman (American Journalism Project), Rabbi Hillel Goldberg and Shana Goldberg (Intermountain Jewish News), Lyndsay C. Green (via The Journalism Salute), Rashad Mahmood and Mark Glaser (New Mexico Local News Fund), Christian Vanek and Barbara Hardt (The Mountain-Ear), Dan Grech (BizHack), Zack Richner (Easy Tax Credits), Tracie Powell (Pivot Fund), Dan Oshinsky (Inbox Collective), Linda Shapley (via What Works), Yehong Zhu and Jake Seaton (Zette, Column), Charity Huff (January Spring), Joaquin Alvarado and Dave Perry (Aurora Sentinel), Steve Waldman (Rebuild Local News), Maritza Félix (Conecta Arizona), Michael Bolden (American Press Institute), Jeff Roberts and Corey Hutchins (CFOIC, Colorado College), Eve Pearlman and Erica Anderson (Spaceship Media), Jennifer Brandel (Hearken, Democracy SOS), Corey Hutchins with Bay Edwards, Todd Chamberlain and Raleigh Burleigh (Sopris Sun).