July 18, 2025
About two dozen local media leaders, hosted by CELM, met last month at the Austin PBS studios to share challenges and solutions around hiring and retaining young journalists. During COVID, this age group endured unprecedented social isolation and extensive requirements to operate virtually at school and work—all during a critical time in their transition to adulthood. Many also reportedly suffer from high levels of social anxiety even now. At the event, leaders expressed a wide range of concerns and challenges, from employees who are not able to manage their time and meet deadlines, to concerns over new hires’ apprehensions towards making phone calls, developing new sources and digging for new story ideas.
The gathering followed CELM’s hosting of a similar group at UT-Austin in March of 2024, which also surfaced concerns about the impact of COVID-related restrictions and experiences on twentysomethings currently entering the workforce.
CELM provided lunch to attendees of this year’s event, while CELM Director, Dr. Kathleen McElroy, facilitated a robust discussion and shared curated resources on the topic, available here. A tour of the spacious facility, led by Austin PBS Chief Content Officer Sara Robertson was also part of the program. (The station re-located from UT to the Austin Community College campus in 2022.)
A post-event survey revealed that what participants valued most was the chance to connect with colleagues across news organizations and to share news and ideas. When asked what was most valuable about the event, one attendee wrote: “The sense of camaraderie that we are all going through the same issues, and the possibility that we can pool resources to address some of them—such as [a] new hire boot camp, possible training videos from UT and news management training.” Another commented: “I get a lot of value out of catching up with former colleagues and chatting with other local news professionals. Always interested in hearing what’s going on in other newsrooms in Austin and how we can make them more supportive for recent graduates.”
Based on both the day’s discussion and subsequent feedback, CELM is planning a “boot camp” style training for interns and new hires this fall. The training will offer in-person engagement and practice time that individual news organizations may not have the time or resources to provide.
