Growth? No. Just burnout

Three years ago, I spent eight months at a startup backed by one of the country’s oldest media houses, as a senior journalist covering cinema. We were expected to file 8-10 fillers of around 300 words every single day, on top of reviews and interviews.

Often, we had to write about things we barely knew, because “growth,” we were told, meant being open to learning and yes, even to getting it wrong sometimes.

Over time, our roles changed. We became event managers and PR agents, roping in celebrities, managing logistics, and coordinating with hotel rooms. 

People with no grasp of journalism believed money alone could fuel the work. That lack of respect is why good journalists walk away, disillusioned, undervalued, and done. 

I won’t forget the co-founders with fancy titles and zero understanding of cinema or journalism who’d casually say, “Chase trending stories. Someone went viral.”

That wasn’t journalism. It was a circus, chasing numbers with no thought, context, or credibility.

A few still tell stories with heart. I hope they thrive. The rest, the ones trading people and ideas for investment, are toxic in ways hard to describe. This cycle of exploitation, where integrity is bartered for funding, must end.

And spare us the clueless questions: “Won’t Rajinikanth give interviews? What about Vijay?” Followed by, “Don’t stop till they say yes.”

Entertainment journalism suffers because of people like this—disconnected from reality, yet drawing the fattest cheques.

Then come the Excel sheets, sent by “team leads” who don’t understand the work. They gaslight you into believing you’ve underperformed while offering zero support.

To them, employees aren’t people, they’re numbers. Valued only for clicks and revenue. Targets are unrealistic, support is nonexistent, and shame is constant. It’s demoralising. 

These “co-founders,” fluent in management-speak, parrot jargon from reels and deliver long Zoom sermons; camera on, of course, because power matters more than people.

No one dares speak up while still drawing a salary. Numbers impact pay, and silence keeps the cycle alive.

But silence sustains the rot.

They hire for peanuts and expect a one-person army; stories, interviews, podcasts, videos, edits, web stories, images, without training. Miss a deadline and you're questioned, not helped.

Journalism is in the wrong hands. If a company doesn’t align with your values, don’t wait for change. It won’t come. If you’re not respected, leave.

They’ll keep piling on work, knowing you won’t quit because “you just joined.” Don’t fall for it. Don’t let your resume guilt you into staying where your soul is slowly draining.

Eventually, you become a machine, churning out stories on autopilot. The words blur. The mistakes stop registering. It’s not just fatigue; it’s burnout. To those still stuck, walk away. You deserve better. 

The pain lingers. The trauma is real. 

(Image: Google)