The Changing and Unchanging Nature and Salary of the First Job in Local TV News

Abstract

Past studies (by Lee Becker and me) have shown that almost all new local TV news hires of recent college graduates are among journalism, broadcast and communication majors. The industry has always looked to academia to prepare students for that first job in local TV news. But as the industry changes—however slowly—are those jobs the same as they used to be? And is the pay any different? I’ve been conducting the annual RTDNA Surveys for the past 27 years, and I’ve taken a look back over time to see how industry hiring is evolving.