Behind the headlines: The mental health struggles of journalists

News credibility is now a rare commodity. With the constant flood of information on our screens, there is always something or the other happening. That is precisely why journalists are now more essential than ever before. From war zones and political arenas to heartwarming tales and brutal tragedies, journalists serve as our eyes and ears to the world. 

Over the years, with the increasing prevalence of the internet and social media, journalists have had to evolve fast and their jobs have only gotten tougher. Every ping, alert and visual now keeps them on their toes at every moment. 

However, we often only look at one side of the story: how a labyrinth of information can be overwhelming for the readers and how journalists are supposed to help them navigate the chaos by presenting exactly what is needed. Behind the crisp headlines and detailed reports that the journalists produce though, a rather ugly story seems to be playing out. It appears that the journalists too have been overburdened by the chaos of information and in recent years, a stream of negative news has taken a serious toll.

Recent studies show that consistent exposure to negative news stories is leading to symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder among journalists, especially those working in conflict zones or covering distressing events. The constant flow of digital inputs, notifications and trends have only magnified the pressures.  “Journalists are first responders in the same sense that it is our job to race toward danger and witness traumatic situations (both figuratively and in reality),” says Dave Seglins, an investigative journalist with over 25 years of experience and a well-being champion at CBC News in Canada. 

The problem is not just the toll that news stories are taking on journalists, but also the fact that these issues don’t get talked about enough. Despite various studies corroborating and explaining the extent of the impact of traumatic news stories on journalists, their mental health problems remain unrecognised and underestimated. We spoke with journalists from across the world to understand the pressures they face in their daily lives, how they cope with them and how news organisations can step up to support their staff. 

On the field

Somrita Ghosh found herself at the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a health reporter with the Times of India, one of the largest English dailies in India, her role transcended beyond just reporting on the latest updates and included a deeply entrenched humanitarian aspect. “Watching bodies being taken out of Covid wards became a routine,” she says. “Many bodies were not even claimed by families because of the virus scare. Many didn’t even get a dignified funeral. I saw minors becoming orphans, losing both parents at the same time and the sheer volume of deaths left a permanent mark on me.”

Moreover, Ghosh had to routinely interact with the grieving families. While she aimed to document their stories and emotions with utmost respect, she says she often felt guilty and wondered if she was intruding into their lives for her article. “I faced severe burnout issues as the pandemic continued,” she says.

Pari Saikia, a fellow at Reporters Without Borders in Germany and an independent journalist covering human trafficking stories for the last 10 years in Asia, has a similar story. “I vividly recall my trips to Kashmir and Bangladesh for an investigative report into bride trafficking,” she says. “I heard stories of over 30 Rohingya women who narrated being sexually and physically tortured by the Tatmadaw army in Myanmar, and traffickers in India and Bangladesh. After five days, I realised how I had stopped feeling any emotions.”

“I remember asking a friend to pinch me multiple times as I wasn’t able to react or feel anything. All I could feel was numbness. Such reporting comes with a lot of baggage and risk which makes it hard for us to carry on our work without feeling the negative impact on mental health,” she adds.

The experiences of Ghosh and Saikia aren’t rare but rather fairly routine. According to a report by Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma, 80-100% of journalists have been exposed to a work-related traumatic event. And largely, journalists have to deal with such situations themselves.

To take care of her health and still be able to do her job well, Ghosh of Times of India says that she often goes on short breaks to her hometown or to the hills for a holiday to recuperate. She realised that to be a good health reporter, she needed to be healthy herself, both physically and mentally. “By now, I am more accustomed to watching misery. Reporting on health has helped me develop apathy as a defense mechanism to cope with the daily barrage of tragic news” Ghosh adds.

The unfortunate bit is that it is not just reporters on the field who have to deal with the pressures of the job, the problem goes beyond.

In the newsroom

Many studies have found that many workers who are not considered “field” staff are also significantly impacted by repeated trauma exposure, including copy editors, video editors, control room operators and audio/video librarians. “Desk editors have their own stresses-deadlines, demands from their bosses or teams, the weight of responsibility to care for people in the field (on top of the vicarious trauma exposure),” says Seglins of CBC News.

As the co-author of a study of more than 1,200 Canadian journalists (“Taking Care: a report on mental health, well-being and trauma among Canadian media workers”, May 2022), Seglins believes that it is not just “exposure” to traumatic content (covering human suffering, death, disasters, climate emergency) but other factors as well that affect the mental health. According to the journalists he works with, the pace of work, deadlines, workload, long hours, job insecurity, low pay and harassment/hostility from the public are also major factors. “Together, these stressors can take a huge toll, causing burnout, fatigue, sleeping problems, anxiety, depression, and in some cases PTSD and suicidal ideation,” he says.

A 2023 survey by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Serbia revealed that 83.1% of the surveyed journalists had experienced burnout at their workplace. 

Stela Dey, who has worked with some of the leading media outlets in India, says that staying online all the time has particularly impacted her mental health. “News is 24×7 and that requires a manned desk at all times. Even when not on shift, we must be aware of what is going on and be ready to be at work if something breaks. This has impacted not only my mental health but my personal life where work-related anxiety is a constant fixture in my mind.”

Other than the day-to-day issues of journalism, there is also a lack of support from the management that seems to be contributing massively to the worsening mental health of journalists. This holds true for Mohammad Ghazali, a seasoned journalist with over 10 years of experience in the Indian state of Punjab. Ghazali says that a lack of support and understanding from editors has been one of the biggest challenges he has faced. “In one instance, I covered a story for Hindustan Times about Punjab farmers who faced difficulties when their primary grain market, where they sold cotton produce, was temporarily overtaken by the local Dussehra committee for the Holika Dahan (religious) event. Following the report, the Dussehra committee accused me of trying to incite division between Hindus and Sikhs. The deputy commissioner even threatened legal action, and my editor, who had approved the story, failed to back me up,” he recalls.

Ghazali emphasises on the immense pressure faced by journalists, particularly newcomers. Many, he laments, buckle under stress, often worsened by unsupportive or “spineless” editors. He believes that a supportive and experienced team can help mitigate these challenges. Ghazali adds, “In this profession, often, your close friends become your only pillar of strength.”

Given the state of things, there is an immediate need to call for a change in the day-to-day journalistic practices as well as offer support for those who are constantly exposed to the tragedies of the world.

Time for change

It’s clear that to cope with this crisis, journalists and media organisations across the world have to make some serious changes. Seglins says that the best preparation for journalists is staying healthy, eating well, getting rest and exercising regularly. “As well as taking mental breaks from work, ensuring you spend time with strong social networks (family and friends), and using talk therapy (psychologists, psychotherapists) to help process major life and work events,” he says.

However, more than that, he believes that news organisations need to monitor and restrict the trauma load journalists are assigned to. “They need trauma-aware education among leaders and frontline staff, to normalise discussion and awareness of the psychological risks of our industry.”

Journalism schools must begin by ensuring mandatory training in trauma-aware approaches to reporting and self-care

Dave Seglins

Connecting journalists with organisations that deal with mental health is another important step. For example, there are organisations like Dart Center, Reporters Without Borders, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and International News Safety Institute (INSI) which collaborate with psychologists and trauma experts to provide resources and training to journalists.

“Maintaining a strong support network and regular discussions with colleagues, mindfulness, seeking professional help for mental health issues, learning to say no and taking breaks from distressing assignments are some of the coping mechanisms for journalists,” says Dr Jangra of All India Institutes of Medical Sciences.

There already seem to be some news organisations that are taking note of this crisis and acting on it. As reported in a previously published article in The Fix, UK’s Channel 4 has introduced meeting-free lunchtimes, well-being days, and mindful and resilience training, among other things. Some state media organisations across the world have also started providing counselling programs for employees.

In journalism, mental health struggles are real and pervasive. It is important to recognise the emotional toll taken on our primary informers. As NDTV’s Ghazali puts it: “No story is bigger than your life.”

Source of the cover photo: https://unsplash.com

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