Why are Digital Journalists Burning Out so Fast?

Chris Pirillo — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:44:57 +0000

An article in the New York Times today discusses the early burnout rate of journalists who work exclusively in online media formats. As I read the article, I could completely understand and empathize with every word in front of me. This is a cutthroat world we live in online. There are thousands of news outlets, all of which have to compete with each other to publish first and publish better. There are more places to read your news online than there are stories to digest. This equates to a niche that is so competitive we are seeing high turnover rates at many big-name media sites.

Google search ranking is the name of the game. If your story doesn’t rank up at the top, it may never be digested by anyone at all. You have to not only crank out articles the very nanosecond they hit the wire… you also much be conscious at all times of keywords, SEO and branding. Gone are the days of writing interesting articles and intensive investigative pieces for the Sunday edition. The world we live in demands to know everything about everyone – and they want to know it now.

Many companies track how many page views each article published on their site receives. Authors are paid (and/or given bonuses) based on these numbers. At Gawker Media’s offices in Manhattan, a flat-screen television mounted on the wall displays the 10 most-viewed articles across all Gawker’s Web sites. The author’s last name, along with the number of page views that hour and over all are prominently shown in real time on the screen, which Gawker has named the “big board.”

While this is an interesting way to attempt to reward and motivate writers, many feel that it is more of a “wall of shame.” If your name doesn’t appear on the board at all times, then you are regarded as not being “up to par.” The stress that these companies are placing on their staff is astronomical. I’ve heard from many of you out there who want to write for a living. There is so much talent and enthusiasm inside of you all. The problem is, I also have seen too many fresh-faced young journalists end up burned out and cynical before the ink on their degree has fully dried.

What are your thoughts? How do you feel we can begin to slow things down to a reasonable pace? Is it possible?

Why are Digital Journalists Burning Out so Fast?

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Chris Pirillo — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 07:16:48 +0000

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I get emailed every minute of every day. Many of the ones I get now are junk emails. I love when all of you send in good questions, though. Vito sent in a question, asking me if “Tech Blogs” are overdone, or not. Have they become too common?

Given that the Internet is technical in nature, and blogs (the setup and management) are technical in nature… it stands to reason that many bloggers are Techie who blog about technical matters. Wow… that’s a mouthful. But yes, it’s a pretty crowded market.

You have to have a unique voice. That is a given. Your point needs to be fresh and new. Even if others don’t agree with you… you need to blog what you know. Be passionate about what you’re writing. KNOW your material. It’s all about doing something different, and being yourself.

I have one word for you if you want to get traffic to your blog: Network. Where are you online? Become active on Social Networking sites, such as Twitter and MySpace. Whose blogs are you reading and commenting on? None? Shame on you! How do you think others will find you? You will have to reach out to others, to bring them to you. More important than the content on your blog is your interaction within the community.

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Why are Digital Journalists Burning Out so Fast?

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