WBND

An Overall Toxic Work Environment

Management is very toxic and non-transparent. Employees were lied to multiple times about scheduling or not consulted with before schedule changes at all, communication is non-existent, and people are only looking out for themselves, not for the success of the company.

South Bend as a whole is a great starter market. But I would avoid WBND at all costs. Save your mental health, and avoid starting/continuing your journalism career in a place that seems to have given up.

They make you work harder than you should. I was once told ABC57 is like a "boot camp" and that's not too far off. Communication is the biggest challenge. Staff are overworked and underpaid. There are sometimes the extra work doesn't make sense, and they stick to a tight standard of vosot and pkg with 2 interviews at least, even if that means talking to random people on the street about things that don't pertain to them. Fobe is newer and brings a lot to the table. Hopefully, this changes. Great first station. Expect to work your butt off for no reward or acknowledgment.

An Overall Toxic Work Environment

Not even sure where to begin -- However, I'll start by saying all of the previous reviews are absolutely accurate. ABC57 is an extremely tough place to work whether you're a producer, MMJ, or anchor. There is no overtime, safety is a huge issue with reporters running their own live shots, there's little training / professional development opportunities ( i.e. conferences, feedback, etc ), and it's disorganized. There's no standard protocol for breaking news, etc -- It turns into everyone doing different things, receiving different information, and confusing the staff and audience in the end. Multiple people have up and quit ( I can think of at least 15 ) over the 2.5 yrs I was there due to poor morale / toxic work environment. Most of the producers / MMJs I worked with felt anxious / depressed while there. The station just transitioned to a new ND, Kyle Fobe. Kyle is a nice guy and has improved the overall atmosphere of the newsroom, but his news judgement is horrendous. My impression is that he values stories that would get clicks / likes and quantity over quality journalism. MMJs during coronavirus coverage have been responsible for multiple VOSOTs and PKGs, often on stories that don't provide any true news value to the audience. While the previous ND was horrendous in the way she treated staff, she did have decent news judgement ( although she sometimes had too high of a standard ) that made the station's newscasts different from the competitors. Kyle is also notorious for having ideas in his head that could be great in theory but just aren't realistic due to station / staff limitations. Although, I will say, he is a visually creative person and in the instances his ideas can be implemented, they're good. The few bright spots at this station are they will give you opportunities to anchor, travel if you work for it, pay, and South Bend is a great town. There's no permanent weekend morning anchor and the station leaves it open for MMJs who want anchoring experience. It's a three hour show filled with a lot of moving parts so once it's mastered, you're prepared to handle other newscasts. ABC57 / Weigel also sends MMJs to cover big stories -- During my time, MMJs went to LA for Dancing with the Stars, almost all of the Democratic debates / first few rounds of the primaries, national championships, and more. Although, I will say I think it was something more emphasized by the previous ND. I'm not sure if Kyle will keep it up. South Bend / Michiana itself is filled with a lot of cool restaurants / bars, outdoor activities (45 min away from Lake Michigan), festivals, and more. It's a smaller town but you won't be bored. It's also a great news town meaning there's a variety of things to cover. The station also pays decently compared to the competitors but remember there's no OT which sucks because you will work a lot of extra hours. Overall, this place is tough and will break you -- I was warned it will be like boot camp and it was. If you feel like you can handle it / it's your only option, great, take it. It will help you get to your next station. Most reporters / producers have gone onto top 40 markets after ABC57, but like the one review mentioned, it doesn't have to be this hard / there are probably better opportunities.

Sexual Discrimination, An Overall Toxic Work Environment

Unsafe, cruel and deplorable working conditions, questionable journalistic ethics, no respect for employees, unpaid overtime, no flexibility, inconsistent schedule, poor benefits, poor working relationships within market, horrible reputation within market, many employees develop mental health concerns and sustain injuries...on the bright side, you'll learn a lot and make some friends

Don't be fooled by the market size. Start off at a a station that values journalism and its employees.

An Overall Toxic Work Environment

It doesn't matter if you are not from the area or the region, they expect you to pitch turning pitches that are hard news only. No fluff, no soft stories, not even for a major holiday. Feeling anxious when writing packages or VOSOTs. Raggedy gear and you will be blame if anything is wrong with it even if its already raggedy. Just a very stressful environment all around.

I didn't listen to the previous comment. They were right, it doesn't have to be this hard. I should have went with my other options but I chased the little bit of money and regret it. Now I am scared to apply for other stations or even second guessing being a reporter. JUST DON'T GO!! Go to WNDU. They are great people, decent management and haven't met anybody from there who is UNHAPPY!! Protect your mental and your happiness!!

An Overall Toxic Work Environment

You are not a person. You are a machine. They don't care about you, your mental health, your physical safety and forget about ever getting help or advice to further your career or performance.

Do not work here. South Bend is a great college town and fine place to land as your middle market but I strongly advise going to ANY of the other stations instead.