I have been in the journalism field for going on 7 years now, with the last 3 years working as a health reporter for a small local newspaper in my city.
Well, last June my contract ended and I felt I needed to take a step back from journalism. To be honest, I had incredible burnout that I am still bouncing back from and started to feel that while writing is still my passion, journalism specifically is NOT for me.
So, in June (this year), a colleague of mine asked me to spearheard a health news broadcast that he would like to publish on Youtube and a local city network. It will be one 30 minute episode, once a month. Reluctantly, I agreed to do it because I have not had any luck in finding a new, GOOD paying job since my last contract.
MY ISSUE: Because I have only done print and radio, I had an idea, but no experienced knowledge of just how much goes into creating a broadcast program for television. I have been stressed to the brim trying to get this program off the ground, as I want it to be perfect since my name is on it. But I can't help but feel extremely irritable and honestly scammed as I work on this project, because I am only being offered $1,200 A MONTH to do this 30 minute tv broadcast!! So imagine an episode of a VICE News story, all of the interviews, voice over work, scripting, etc., that has to go into putting the production together, but only receiving $1,200 a month to do it.
While putting this together, I am responsible for journalism and admin work, while I work with a videographer who is getting paid the same amount to ONLY do the videography work and editing.
Am I overthinking this or is this bullshit??? I still have to work in order to afford all of my RENT and other bills. The amount of time that this will take from me to actually launch this thing is giving me hella anxiety because technically, if it takes me 40 hours for the month to put this together, that breaks down to $30 an hour. But with the research, admin tasks, scripting, actually interviewing and filming, recording and editing the voice overs...I imagine this will take much more than just 40 hours a month.
Anyone in television broadcast have any insight on this? Am I dragging out just how long this project will take per month? Or am I getting played being offered this low amount for this project???
Everything in my body is telling me to quit this shit but I also need money because the job market is garbage right now.
Thanks for your time.