By Stephania Rodriguez

As I approach the end of my senior year as a journalism major, I look back at all the interviews I’ve done, the people I’ve met, the photographs I’ve taken, the issues I’ve covered, and the places I’ve traveled to tell a good story. There was sacrifice, as with any dream we pursue, and moments when I didn’t always feel comfortable, but I always made sure to reward myself when all the hard work was done.

At the end of every week, I have to admit that I feel physically and mentally tired, but I’ve been finding ways to step away from my job and make sure I take care of my body and I can be equipped to take on whatever assignment is next.

When I first began seriously pursuing journalism, it never crossed my mind to consider the effects that the job could have on my mental health. If I was choosing to pursue the career I loved, then certainly my mental health would be the last thing I’d need to worry about.

Though I myself do not battle with mental health issues, it’s a struggle that I’ve gotten to know firsthand. Someone that I love was diagnosed with a severe mental health disorder that makes it hard for them to do many of life’s daily tasks. Having this person in my life has given me the awareness and mindfulness that I have now about mental health, and I’ve often applied it to how I show up as a journalist.

Many journalists do in fact have mental health issues.  A research article found that the prevalence of PTSD among journalists is higher than that among the general population.

There are topics reporters cover that may inevitably cause stress and mental health strain not only for the sources they are speaking to, but on themselves as well. Some reporters cover stories that involve trauma, such as natural disasters, violence, abuse, and harassment, which can cause journalists to experienceanxiety, depression, sleep and eating disorders, burnout, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Media Diversity Institute cited a research article that studied journalists who quit the profession.  “The professions increased demands and the industry’s digitalization played a large role in their decision to quit. According to the research’s conclusions, ‘the lack of institutional support on work-life balance and mental health paired with the institutional demands to be “all in” and always on, and the consequential lack of professional–personal life balance, led journalists to have a sense of disconnection from both their personal and professional lives.’”

There have been more initiatives in recent years that show that newsrooms are considering their reporters’ mental health. Reuters created an online resource centerfor journalists that’s full of access to information and guidance on topics like stress, burnout, trauma, and mental illness. They cite research from the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma that shows that newsroom managers play “a crucial role in promoting a healthy, resilient workplace, and that effective newsroom leadership plays a protective role for journalists exposed to stress and trauma.”

When it comes to taking care of their mental health, I believe there are some questions journalists can ask themselves about the newsroom they are working in or want to work in:

• How does this newsroom support their reporters when it comes to their mental health?
• What kinds of resources do they provide for addressing mental health issues?
• Is there someone within your newsroom that you can talk to about mental health and discuss how to find solutions and balance?

It’s important for journalists who are struggling to speak up and find the help they need, but newsrooms certainly play an equally important role in navigating this issue.

 

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