Burnout. Journalists experience high burnout rates, and Reinardy (2011) found that journalists expressing an intention to leave the profession had high burnout rates, putting them at risk of burnout. Those most “at risk” of burnout appear to be young editors or page designers working at small newspapers (Reinardy, 2011). In addition to exposure to traumatic experiences, burnout is linked to structural workplace tensions and chronic organizational problems (Lee, Lim, Yang, & Lee, 2011). Journalists may well be subject to these tensions and problems, given the high levels of stress and irregular schedules they are forced to endure if they wish to succeed in the industry. Burnout is a psychological disorder that reflects the symptoms of general work-related exhaustion. It is described as a slow process of psychological erosion caused by persistent stressors at work (Backholm, 2012). Burnout includes three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and a reduced sense of self-efficacy (Maslach & Courtois, 2008; Maslach & Leiter, 1997). Additionally, Maslach and Courtois (2008) proposed that trauma-related work, particularly long-term work, or repeated work with direct victims of trauma could be an indicator of burnout. McCann and Pearlman (1990) noted that burnout in this context could be a consequence of indirect exposure to traumatic content, also resulting from a process of working in a difficult case (i.e. not necessarily caused by trauma). There is evidence to suggest that burnout results from ineffective management of stress at work and in personal life and may well be chronic and last over long periods of time. Therefore, burnout will also be associated with poorer physical health and psychological well-being, as suggested by the rec...... middle of paper ......a, emotional numbness and intense and intrusive memories which bring back the full force of their horror (Kalter, 1999). The inability to deal with emotional trauma, if not addressed properly, can pose a real threat to journalists, with the potential to impact their sense of psychological, personal and professional well-being with consequences . of the industry itself. Well-being is defined as the adequacy between an individual's real life and their ideal life. Common indicators of well-being are judgments of life satisfaction and measurement of positive and negative emotions (Zou, Schimmack, & Gere, 2013). The ripple effect of the inability to cope with trauma is that the stories and interview techniques of journalists who struggle to cope with the trauma they witness could just as easily have an impact on the public and, critically, on those who survive the traumatic event itself (Long, 2013).