Producer
Burnout
"...almost
half of the participants were suffering from high exhaustion."
By
Angele' Anderfuren
About
a fifth of local TV news producers in Texas at ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC
stations are experiencing burnout or are at risk for burning out, according
to a new research study.
Additionally,
almost half of the producers surveyed scored high on exhaustion and
almost two-thirds of participating producers scored high on cynicism,
both factors indicating potential future burnout problems for producers.
This
study found producers who report feelings of burnout also reported unsatisfactory
resources to effectively do their jobs, heavy workloads, and a desire
to leave their jobs and/or their profession, among other factors.
Women
producers were found to be feeling more burned out than their male counterparts.
Sixty percent of the producers who scored as burned out, at high risk,
or at some risk were women.
Younger
producers were at highest risk for burnout. No participating producers
age 40 or over scored burned out or at risk of burning out. Seventy
percent of the producers in the burned out, at high risk, or at some
risk categories were in the 20-29 age group. Thirty percent were in
the 30-39 age group.
Producer
burnout was determined using a device called the Maslach Burnout Inventory
(MBI). The MBI is a series of 16 questions designed to rate a test subject’s
scores in three key areas: emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and professional
efficacy.
The
data collected in this survey showed the majority (67.4%) of producer
participants in this study were at a low risk of burning out. However,
6.5% scored as burned out, with another 6.5% scoring at high risk for
burnout, and an additional 8.7% at risk of burning out. This was a combined
total of 21.7% in need of help.
Exhaustion.
Looking
at the scores that make up the burnout scale, almost half (42.9%) of
the participants were suffering from high exhaustion, 38.8% rated as
having some exhaustion, and 24.5% had low exhaustion. Exhaustion is
the key component of burnout.
This
should be a sign of potential future problems because exhaustion leads
workers to distance themselves from their work, which, in turn, leads
to to cynicism about doing one’s job. Because almost half of the producers
scored high on exhaustion, stations should seek solutions to avoid full
burnout.
Cynicism.
A
majority of producers (57.1%) also scored high on cynicism. Another
14.3% rated somewhat cynical. The remaining 28.6% rated low on cynicism.
Professional Efficacy. Interestingly, the element that seemed to keep
more producers from scoring at some level of risk of burning out or
actually being burned out was that an overwhelming majority (70.8%)
of participants scored high on professional efficacy.
The
majority of producers in the study felt like they are effective in their
jobs. Another 20.8% scored in the mid range on professional efficacy,
with the last 8.3% scoring low on professional efficacy.
“Job
Engaged” Producers.
Producers
that scored “job engaged,” the opposite of burned out, had several common
characteristics. All of them said they love their jobs. They all also
reported to be satisfied, somewhat satisfied, or very satisfied with
their station’s ethical standards. Eighty percent said they just re-signed
their contracts. Sixty percent produced their station’s late show, i.e.
9 p.m. or 10 p.m. newscast.
This
study found that the higher the level of burnout, the more likely producers
were to report that they feel like quitting frequently. This is yet
another reason stations should take steps to manage burnout.
Stations
can manage burnout and burnout risks by offering educational and training
opportunities, having satisfactory daily schedules, and offering enough
vacation time.
Producers
can manage burnout by seeking additional education/training on their
own, as well as paying adequate attention to their life outside of work.
Reprinted
from www.newslab.org
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