Truth be told, the paradox of TV news talent acquisition is hiring managers look for unicorns, the perspective and objectivity of Cronkite only in a young, hot, and cheap package.

Reality is that we are letting experience and perspective walk out the door and the market is absolutely flooded with young, hot, and cheap. So flooded that compensation continues to spiral downward as young journalists accept literally less than minimum wage to secure their first role.

Maybe it's time to think a bit more long term, like beyond the next quarter's P&L or ratings book. Think about the cost of churn vs investing in retention.

Could we .......

Invest in the career of our entry level journalists. Focus on skill development and retention. Provide incentives to stay, not leave every 2 to 3 years. Look, I get it. We have payroll to meet but bumping someone's $32k comp package 3% a year is laughable, even shameful.

Provide mid-career professionals with an opportunity to adapt, evolve, and acquire new skills sets around social media and digital content management. They have your audience locked and loaded, let's give them the tools and have the patience to let them win.

Start investing in the organization and stop creating intergenerational competition. We should spend time encouraging collaborative effort between the young digital savvy and the experienced mid to late-career journalists.

!!! Mentees need Mentors and depending on the subject, these roles should flip based on gaps, need, and experience levels.

This post is not pointed at any one position, organization, or even industry. These practices are prevalent across dozens of industries. Solutions are not easy or even clearly visible but maybe those unicorns are right in front of us!

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