Autonomy and Perceptions of Work Quality: Drive the job satisfaction of TV news workers

Abstract

Self-determination theory says intrinsic and extrinsic motivations influence our goal-oriented behavior and determine satisfaction. For TV news workers, those motivations include deadlines, breaking news, multiple-screen obligations, competition, and the desire to produce quality journalism each day. In this study of nearly 900 broadcasters, those with work autonomy and organizational support have a great deal of job satisfaction and say they are producing a high quality of journalism. Of the sample, 19 percent (N = 155) who said they intend to leave TV news within five years had significantly lower levels of job satisfaction, organizational support, autonomy, and perceptions of work quality. The primary reasons for leaving the industry include salary, family issues, and concerns about the quality journalism they are producing.