Great storyteller and talented journalists; terrible leadership and pay is underwhelming
Pros
KUOW offers great work-life balance, as it’s not a 24-hour newsroom. Depending on your direct supervisor and team, you’re given a lot of freedom to pitch/choose stories you cover. I’ve never felt imposed upon or stifled when it comes to the journalism itself. Additionally, KUOW is as secure as it gets in this industry, which is notorious for layoffs. Being fired is also virtually unheard of — you’d have to work really hard to land in that position.
Cons
Executive leadership is out of touch with the needs of the newsroom. People/teams who should be engaged in the decision-making process are left out of the loop about things that directly impact them. Leadership also likes to pay high price tag consultants for redundant work that could be done in-house, at the expense of offering better compensation to employees. Lastly, the flip side of having job security is that there are some lazy people at KUOW who know they can coast by doing the bare minimum, creating more work for people committed to excellence.