A panel of radio journalists at Leeds Trinity University’s Journalism and Media Week have revealed their career pathways and the challenges of being a radio presenter. The surprising common theme of self-doubt cropped up when the panel spoke about the mutual feeling of imposter syndrome, agreeing that its persistence did not discriminate against age or gender.
Despite the confident voices we hear on the radio, behind the mic there often lies this unwelcome sense of imposter syndrome. From hearing each of the presenter’s background in radio and how they broke into the industry, it was admitted that each presenter had experienced imposter syndrome at least a few times over the course of their career.
Imposter syndrome is the belief that one’s success is undeserved or has not been legitimately achieved, despite having a sufficient skillset. So how is it that a panel of talented and successful radio hosts, still get this feeling?
Jess Bayley from BBC Radio Leeds, talked about the danger of imposter syndrome preventing her from applying to certain jobs, due to self-doubt. In order to overcome this, she reminded herself that nothing bad will happen, “It’s radio, nobody dies if you mess up. Just give it a go and see what happens”, she said.
As the panel discussed the ways in which to combat this feeling, it was clear that positive self-talk and self-confidence were the key for Georgia Levy-Collins. Georgia, despite having worked at the BBC for over 2 years, still has occasional feelings of imposter syndrome. She said it was important to actively combat these negative thoughts, “You’ve got to think to yourself, I can do this and I deserve to be here.”
According to a study by Action Mental Health, it was found that 62% of adults have experienced imposter syndrome in the workplace. The dangers of imposter syndrome can lead to feelings of low self-esteem and even burnout if not addressed.
The panel also addressed the importance of growing one’s confidence, despite these negative thoughts, and concluded the best way to do that was to keep learning new skills and pushing oneself out of their comfort zone. Nick Hatton said, “If you can show your passion and enthusiasm, that goes a very long way”.