Dr. Scott Reinardy

Dr. Scott Reinardy

Ball State University professor Scott Reinardy was a newspaper reporter and editor for 18 years at five daily newspapers from 1987-2005.

Reinardy earned his Master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri in 2003 and his Ph.D. in 2006.

He is an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism at Ball State University.

You can contact him at:
srreinardy@BSU.edu
(765) 285-8692

 

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Abstract

 

The three-component Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey was implemented to examine burnout among newspaper journalists (N = 770). 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 (n = 173) 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 (n = 223) 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.

 

 

 

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Tables

 

Table 1. Classification of MBI-GS scores among journalists.

 

                                       Ex            Cyn                    PE                      

Journalists                    Mean               2.93                  2.63                  4.90

(n = 770)                       SD                    1.47                  1.63                  0.84

table 

 

Ex = Exhaustion; Cyn = Cynicism; PE = Professional Efficacy

EE: 3.2 and above = high; 2.01-3.19= average; 2.00 and less = low.

Cyn: 2.20 and above = high; 1.01-2.19 = average; 1 and less = low.

PE: 5 and above = low; 4.01-4.99 = average; 4 and less = high.

 

 

Table 2. Mean MBI-GS scores comparing job titles of journalists.

                                                                          Ex                    Cyn                  PE                   

 

Reporters                            Mean                 2.98                  2.74                  4.75

 (n = 290)                              SD                    1.45                  1.59                  0.85

 

News editors                      Mean                 2.90                  2.42                  5.01

(n = 152)                               SD                    1.40                  1.60                  0.80

 

Executive

& managing editors         Mean                 2.86                  2.11                  5.20

(n = 58)                                 SD                    1.54                  1.64                  0.62

 

Copy editors

& page designers             Mean                 2.95                  2.95                  4.92

(n = 88)                                SD                    1.55                  1.65                  0.83

 

Photographers                  Mean                 2.70                  2.52                  4.96

(n = 43)                                SD                    1.25                  1.53                  0.70

 

table 


Ex = Exhaustion; Cyn = Cynicism; PE = Professional Efficacy

EE: 3.2 and above = high; 2.01-3.19= average; 2.00 and less = low.

Cyn: 2.20 and above = high; 1.01-2.19 = average; 1 and less = low.

PE: 5 and above = low; 4.01-4.99 = average; 4 and less = high.

 

 

 

Table 3. Mean MBI-GS scores comparing ages of journalists.

                                                                  Ex                    Cyn                  PE                               

34 years old                   

& younger                  Mean                 3.15                  2.71                  4.90

 (n = 228)                      SD                    1.32                  1.61                  0.82

 

35 to 48

years old                     Mean                 3.03                  2.72                  4.83

(n = 215)                       SD                    1.50                  1.58                  0.88

 

49 years old

& older                        Mean                 2.59                  2.39                  4.95

(n = 236)                       SD                    1.48                  1.61                  0.78

 

table 


Ex = Exhaustion; Cyn = Cynicism; PE = Professional Efficacy

EE: 3.2 and above = high; 2.01-3.19= average; 2.00 and less = low.

Cyn: 2.20 and above = high; 1.01-2.19 = average; 1 and less = low.

PE: 5 and above = low; 4.01-4.99 = average; 4 and less = high.