“Burnout with shrapnel.” The influence of perceived supervisor and organizational support on worker burnout and retention in U.S. local television newsrooms

Employee burnout and high turnover rates are growing concerns in local television newsrooms in the United States. This study uses the framework of Organizational Support Theory (OST) to examine how Perceived Organizational Support (POS) and Perceived Supervisor Support (PSS) impact the overall work experiences of U.S. local television news employees. Interviews with 21 of these workers describe working conditions, including stress, mental health, burnout and future plans in the industry. Most workers describe low levels of both PSS and POS and highlight a noticeable gap between what they feel they need to succeed in their jobs and what many organizations and supervisors can – or perhaps want to – provide. Those that have higher PSS and/or POS describe stronger levels of mentorship and mental health support and lower levels of turnover in their newsrooms. Participants provide practical suggestions to help alleviate some of the more negative aspects of the job contributing to burnout and provide incentives to remain in the business.