Advice for Journalists Dealing with Self-Doubt

Over the course of their careers, journalists will come across many roadblocks that could obstruct their progress, be it a source not responding or issues with competitors trying to kill their stories. 

A lot of the first problems that might come to mind are external, but internal obstacles a journalist will face are just as critical to address. Many journalists are hyper-critical of themselves and the profession tends to attract perfectionists, who are plagued with self-doubt at some point.

Imposter Syndrome

Journalists may be experiencing imposter syndrome if they find themselves questioning their adequacy and writing skills despite having plenty of evidence to back up their talent or achievements. Impostor syndrome runs rampant within newsrooms and among freelance journalists alike. Also referred to as an “imposter phenomenon,” it happens when individuals believe they might be a fraud, doubting their abilities and perhaps even thinking their personal achievements were a fluke and unearned. This overly critical voice in one’s head also acts as an “inner saboteur” that will hold journalists back and muddy up their good sense. This useless voice can be effectively pushed out if the right tools and approaches are used.

Focusing On Yourself and Not Getting Stuck in Your Head

No one makes healthy progress if they compare themselves to others. Everyone is on a different path and on a different timeline at varied paces. Plus, it is never known for certain what internal struggles others are going through, even if someone appears to be in a more privileged position or more outwardly successful than another. Journalists might be diving deeper into their own heads when regularly pitching and not hearing back from editors, as is often the case. 

Nor does it help matters when they do hear back—only to realize they’ve received a rejection. Whether these rejections contain negative feedback or no feedback, it can be easy to perpetuate the process of self-doubt and mental self-sabotage. “Don’t be so hard on yourself” is likely something that all journalists hear at some point, but not being kind to oneself will only put more roadblocks in a journalist's path. Positive affirmations can also be helpful as well as self-care. Consider exercise or just pampering yourself in some way to make better friends with that voice in the head.

Putting a Healthy Spin on Imposter Syndrome

While a journalist will not be helped by comparing themselves to others, it would benefit them to compare themselves to themselves. Specifically, they can choose to be their own role model, looking back to where they were a year or more ago. By focusing on the positive changes that have come about and where they came from, journalists will give themselves a boost. There is almost certainly at least something, whether a skill or type of story, a journalist is doing this year that they were not able to do before. When keeping their head down and having different opportunities come at a steady pace, they might forget how much progress they are making in their respective careers. If they do not forget this and acknowledge the skills they must have that got them there, their inner saboteur might very well start quieting down.

Imposter syndrome itself cannot be looked at as something that can be pushed away or disappear. Instead, the best course of action is to manage it in as healthy of a way as possible. They can resist by quelling the voice with coping mechanisms such as affirmations, self-love, and letting go of perfectionism. Only then can journalists stop beating themselves up and stop getting in their own way.