Weaver and Wilhoit's survey, also supported by The Freedom Forum, sampled the news work force in TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and news services. Their total sample of 1,l52 for all media included 101 in radio news, too few many of the analyses enabled by my radio sample of 414. But their research meshes well with mine, as has been the case across two decades. A similar difference mass media and broadcast news components applies for entry-level employees. The Becker group's 1999 survey , still another co-sponsored by The Freedom Forum, included employees in advertising and public relations as well as news.
Lower pay appears an answer.
Becker's study group found that entry-level salaries for television were the lowest in all the mass media, with radio third, just behind weekly newspapers. Effects of the low pay shows in my survey. They had expected low pay for a time at the start, but not that it to be quite so hard just to make ends meet.