Factors Affecting Turnover and Turnaway Intention of Journalists in South Korea

Abstract

This study examined the factors affecting turnover and turnaway intention of newspaper journalists in South Korea through the lens of the push–pull–mooring framework. Survey results of 899 journalists showed that traffic boosting practices push journalists away from organizations. Particularly, senior journalists were more frustrated with the prevalence of traffic boosting practices, while juniors were more sensitive to growth potential and job security. Furthermore, ideological conflict between journalists and their organizations regarding political orientation was positively related to turnover intention. Meanwhile, regardless of the career length, journalists who enjoyed their coworkers were less likely to leave their jobs.

Mapping the Evolution of Media Management and Industry Studies in Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly: 100-Year Retrospective and Future Directions

“…An analysis of a 2013 survey conducted among U.S. journalists revealed a significant decline in both job satisfaction and journalistic autonomy over the course of the past decade (Weaver et al, 2019). Song and Jung (2022) paid attention to journalist turnover and found that traffic-boosting practices, limited growth potential, and job insecurity push journalists away from organizations. As such, researchers have understandably shown interest in human resource management during a period of economic and technological upheaval for news organizations.…”