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Racial Discrimination, An Overall Toxic Work Environment

Megan serves as the Executive Producer and “Assistant News Director.” She has been at the station for more than ten years and has worked in nearly every production role. In my view, she is one of the primary sources of dysfunction in the newsroom. There have been numerous complaints filed with HR regarding bullying, racially insensitive behavior, and creating unnecessary conflict. When confronted, she often becomes emotional in a way that shifts the focus away from the original issue. I strongly recommend documenting all interactions and incidents thoroughly. The Human Resources department consists of a single individual who does not have formal training or a degree in HR and previously served as a secretary. As a result, there is little accountability, and complaints rarely lead to meaningful consequences. Erica is the Director of Content and News. She previously oversaw digital operations and was promoted after the general manager departed. Although personable, she is frequently absent from the station. When present, she often arrives late, leaves early, and takes frequent smoke breaks throughout the day. She also uses one of the station’s vehicles as her primary mode of transportation. Additionally, she engages in gossip about employees and at times demonstrates a lack of emotional control. While she may speak critically of Megan, they maintain a close professional relationship. There are no regular pitch meetings, no formal daily coverage planning discussions, and no consistent script reviews. Feedback and criticism appear to be applied inconsistently. Employees of color often receive disproportionately higher levels of scrutiny compared to their counterparts. The newsroom lacks strong, consistent leadership, which is reflected in the overall quality of the product. As a result, the station ranks last among the three stations in the market. Overall, this is a challenging and, in my opinion, toxic work environment. The absence of effective leadership and organization can hinder professional growth and negatively impact one’s perspective on the industry. If you have other opportunities available, you may want to consider them carefully. If you choose to accept a position here, I recommend seeking mentorship outside of the station, staying focused on your professional goals, maintaining thorough documentation of your work, building your reel, and planning your next step strategically.

It is worth noting that current director Erica doesn’t require you sign a contract. Which is a huge advantage if you are just looking for experience.

An Overall Toxic Work Environment

Certain anchors were allowed to yell at reporters and speak to them in disrespectful ways, and nothing was done to address it. There was also a lack of accountability from leadership. When decisions created problems or hurt morale, I rarely saw acknowledgment or any effort to improve things. If you’re not an anchor at this station, or on the morning show, you don’t matter.

An Overall Toxic Work Environment

As soon as one person is out, someone’s schedule is being changed, and workloads are tripled. There is a cliche. If you’re young and single you should be fine. If not, be prepared to listen to how drunk one of them got with the group the night before.

It’s not a strong learning or development environment. Newer journalists are often expected to perform at a high level without adequate training, correction, or mentorship. Mistakes are more likely in this environment, yet constructive feedback and coaching are limited.

Staffing shortages contribute to high workloads and stress, but management practices further compound these issues. In particular, manager Lisa Burger frequently communicates in a condescending and dismissive manner. Feedback is often delivered without support or guidance, which discourages questions, learning, and professional growth.

Prospective employees are encouraged to read publicly available reviews from Lisa Burger’s previous stations to better understand recurring management patterns.

Employees are largely left to figure things out on their own rather than being intentionally developed. This is not a station I would recommend for early-career journalists or anyone seeking mentorship, support, or a healthy workplace culture.
Also don’t listen to Luke or Jacqueline.