The plan for this week's Barrett News Column was to write about the very 'burn out' factor experienced by many young up-and-comers in this crazy world of media, myself included.

You get to a point where the day-to-day is no longer fulfilling and you question what you're doing and why you're doing it.

Could I be making more money elsewhere? Yes.

Why did I pick a career where your holidays and weekends can become just like any other weekday? Is there a future in this that makes me happy?

Then I came across the story of Frank Somerville, the KUTV anchor in San Francisco who was recently suspended after an argument with his boss because he asked to include a line in his broadcast about disparity in coverage when a woman of color goes missing versus a white woman.

He was covering, as is every media outlet in the country, the disappearance and death of Gabby Petito.

That's where it hit me. The burn out factor isn't just for the rookies, it's for everybody. No amount of experience or fame can stop reality from settling in.

In my opinion, news directors, program directors, upper management and human resources are responsible for checking in on their employees, making sure they aren't feeling overwhelmed to the point of debilitating anxiety that affects their final product.

One way bosses can do that, is to not only allow, but encourage, talent and reporters to hit on stories that they are invested in on an emotional level. Reading the headlines and box scores can only fill-the-void for so long. Sometimes the journalist in you needs to be let loose. Passion projects and stories surrounding causes you care about can be the remedy.

Somerville is a prime example of this.

For those unfamiliar with his background, he is the adoptive father of a black teenage girl.

He wanted to discuss, on his show and platform, how media coverage is lacking when women who look like his family members go missing. It's fact, there are stats and research to back up his claim.

Don't you think this cause may be a little near and dear to his heart?

It's real and important news. Don't you think the staff at KUTV could have embraced the facts he presented and participated in being part of the solution, instead of enabling the problem?

Somerville never diminished the Petito story. He rightfully pointed out that we should keep that same energy when others go missing as well. And, since he works in the field, he shouldn't feel handcuffed and unable to do so.

I can already hear the Journalism 101 professor yell about 'not being part of the story,' and journalism is about cutting right down the middle. But, let's be honest here. The highest paid anchors at CNN and Fox News aren't journalists, they're personalities who spend time daily discussing what they care about. It's the same at ESPN and FS1.

There is a time and place to present the facts without offering personal narratives.

That's actually what Somerville reportedly wanted to do. It was just a statement and fact he cared about more than his bosses do.

Let's bring it full circle.

Denial of permission to focus, from time-to-time, on the stuff that matters to you, will for sure cause someone to snap, and be really pissed off about their job. Remember those aforementioned questions you tend to ask yourself when you feel burnt out? They apply here too.

If the reports are accurate that the reason for his suspension was because of arguing with bosses on their refusal to let him shed light on the issue, then I do not blame him one bit.

As a media contingent, we have the chance to do better. It's reminiscent of the summer of 2020 when people learned, somehow for the first time in their lives, that turning a blind-eye to racism is actually racist. Being anti-racist is the way to go.

Report the news, honestly and accurately. But also be a human being and fight for the greater good. It makes the long hours, low pay and tough days wanting to toss your computer through a window actually worth it.