5 Years Since George Floyd's Death, The Cycle is Speeding Up: Burnout, Layoffs, and Journalism’s Broken Promises
- tmanon1
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
It’s hard not to feel like we’ve been here before.
I recently read From Jim Crow to Journalism by Wanda Smalls Lloyd, one of the first Black women to become a national editor at USA Today. Her story was inspiring, but also painfully familiar. She wrote about newsroom instability, lack of support for journalists of color, and how even during moments of progress, the foundation was always shaky.
When I spoke with her in a follow-up interview, she shared how the mass layoffs of the 2010s hit the industry hard—especially those who had finally broken through racial barriers. That same pattern is playing out again today, only faster.
Journalism’s Broken Cycle
Layoffs, budget cuts, and closures are now an annual ritual in newsrooms. In 2023 alone, more than 17,000 media jobs were lost across the country, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Outlets like BuzzFeed News and Vice shut down or dramatically reduced staff. Even legacy newspapers have been quietly slashing entire departments.
Journalists of color—many of whom were brought in during the “racial reckoning” of 2020—are often the first to go when priorities shift. DEI roles have been quietly dissolved. Whole desks focused on race, identity, or community reporting have vanished.
This isn’t just a labor issue. It’s a systemic failure. We’re watching the same cycle repeat, but with less patience and even less support. And the result is a growing sense of burnout and betrayal.
False Hope and Fast Burnout
There’s something uniquely exhausting about thinking you’ve finally arrived—finally earned your place—only to be let down again. For many journalists, especially those from marginalized communities, that emotional whiplash takes a toll.
The speed of the cycle now leaves little time to recover. We’re not just fighting for space—we’re fighting to stay standing while the industry reshuffles, restructures, and retreats.
What Comes Next?
The real problem isn’t just the layoffs. It’s that our systems—hiring, promotion, retention—aren’t built to sustain equity. DEI efforts can’t be short-term solutions or PR responses to public pressure. If we want real change, we need structures that support people beyond the moment.
Because if the cycle continues unchecked, we won’t just lose jobs. We’ll lose trust, talent, and the future of journalism itself.
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