Journalist Attrition and its Expected Impact on Democracy in Bhutan

Abstract

According to the human resources records of Kuensel, the number of journalists fell by 37 percent from 2021 to 2023, with only 4 out of 15 vacancies filled over the past two years. Other agencies are experiencing similar workforce challenges. While the departure of educators, civil servants, and health professionals has been featured in the headlines over the past year, little attention has been devoted to the attrition ongoing in the media itself. To understand the issues driving journalists out of the profession, a survey of a non-random sample was conducted of 63 professionals who worked as a journalist in the past five years. While 32 had left the profession, 31 stayed in the media. Of those who left the profession, 66 percent left in the past two years, and 44 percent left the country (for Australia in almost all cases). The rest remain in Bhutan but are no longer working as journalists. Of the leavers, 19 per cent are now unemployed, while the other 81 percent have moved on to new jobs, notably including teaching (in Bhutan) and aged care (in Australia). When asked about reasons for leaving the profession, low salary and lack of professional development came out as the most common complaints. Of the stayers, 40 percent expressed dissatisfaction with their pay, and 43 percent claimed to be actively searching for ways to change their employment status. This study reflects on the implications of the survey findings for the future of media and its relationship with democracy in Bhutan.