News organizations looking to enhance the productivity and preparedness of new or early-career journalists without too much additional, time-consuming training have a new option. The Early-Career Guide to Newsroom Success, built by news industry veteran and strategist Rachel Lobdell with support from the Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI), can help these journalists quickly adjust to the expectations of the professional world.

“I wanted this guide to be an easy way to kind of grease the wheels and make you more successful — and, quite frankly, not annoy your boss all the time,” Lobdell said in an interview as part of the RJI Insight video series highlighting industry innovators. “We know that staffers who connect with management tend to get better assignments and promotions, so this can have real consequences.”

Now available at bit.ly/earlynewscareerguide, the guide offers specific strategies to help staffers navigate meetings with management, communicate professionally and establish good time management habits. It also represents growing recognition of the challenges faced by early-career journalists on a number of fronts.

RJI research supports the fact that young journalists are at higher risk of burnout in the short term, making preparedness a necessity for the longevity of journalists and their newsrooms. The pressures of fast-paced communication and organization can be intimidating even to those with the hands-on experience prized at the Missouri School of Journalism, where RJI is based.

“More than 70% of respondents said that resourcefulness and proactive problem solving was lacking. That was the number one issue.”

Rachel Lobdell

In response, Lobdell created a survey asking newsroom managers which skills the guide should focus on developing. Having served as a top editor at outlets like Fortune and VICE, she thought she knew what to expect — but she said the results still surprised her.

“You hear stories about early-career journalists texting at 10 p.m. or not understanding the etiquette of sending professional emails,” Lobdell said. “That’s what I really expected to come to the top, but more than 70% of respondents said that resourcefulness and proactive problem solving was lacking. That was the number one issue.”

Reflecting this concern, the guide is filled with examples of common challenges and varied means of solving them, presenting both precise strategies and multiple options for people with different needs and skills.

“This is designed to be easy to pick up and use without a lot of extra work,” said Randy Picht, executive director of RJI. “Just like the journalists it’s meant to help, it’s adaptable to the needs of individual newsrooms. I’m excited to see it in action.”

For questions about the guide or to learn how to partner with RJI on a project, contact rji@rjionline.org.

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Cite this article

Fitzgerald, Austin (2025, Feb. 18). Launching today — Early-Career Guide helps entry-level journalists acclimate to newsroom expectations. Reynolds Journalism Institute. Retrieved from: https://rjionline.org/news/launching-today-early-career-guide-helps-entry-level-journalists-acclimate-to-newsroom-expectations/