Being a journalist is a health risk, said Jamie Pennebaker, a psychology professor at the University of Texas at Austin. It’s not only because of physical risks but because we so frequently engage with the worst events in people’s lives and in the nation’s history. Transcript | Video
“Any job that confronts traumas has a much higher burnout rate than others,” Pennebaker told NPF Statehouse Reporting Fellows. Yet in newsrooms, “there is this implicit value, which is, ‘Come on guys, you’re tough. You need to go out there, see horrible things and report them in an objective way. Don’t get all emotionally involved. You’re upset, come on, get over it. This is what you have signed up for.’ Well, that’s ridiculous. You are humans.”
Pennebaker said that good training for professionals who encounter trauma does the opposite: Therapists listen to clients’ traumas but consult a supervisor to process their own reactions.
Instead of “get over it,” the message should be, “That must have been really tough. Let’s talk about that,” Pennebaker said.
While old-school journalists may balk, reporters today face a very different environment, including public hostility, the unending 24/7 onslaught of tragic news and deadlines, and increasingly threatening social media attacks.
“Reading personal assaults is really horribly stressful,” said Pennebaker, a strong proponent of “don’t read the comments” or replies.
What is trauma?
Trauma could be witnessing a horrible or gruesome event, being insulted publicly on Twitter, or almost anything that causes a person to ruminate, Pennebaker said. “If you find yourself thinking about, dreaming about, worrying about upsetting experiences a lot … [it] is often a sign of early depression.”
Trauma coping skills for journalists
Journalists must develop healthy coping skills to last in the news media industry. One of the best ways to cope is to write.
“Putting upsetting experiences into words is one of the most powerful ways to deal with [it],” Pennebaker said, because it helps people to organize their thoughts and see patterns. “You start to think about the causes, your role in it, and also what has worked in the past.”
Journalists know how to write. What may take getting used to is getting your audience out of your head.
“The writing should be personal and it should be absolutely honest. And if you want, throw it away, because some of this stuff you don’t want other people to see, and that’s really important. This needs to be honest writing for yourself,” Pennebaker said.
Talking it out can be similarly effective, but in that case, you do have to be aware of your audience.
“Your spouse doesn’t understand a lot of stuff you do, unless your spouse has a similar job, your family might not,” but that’s why a network of journalist friends is important, Pennebaker said. He encouraged journalists to reach out and be the mentor you would have wanted to younger journalists, letting them vent about their stressors – often without offering advice.
Whether writing or talking, get it out.
“Having a traumatic experience is statistically bad for everybody, but it’s far, far worse for people who keep it secret,” he said.
Are you traumatizing your audience?
Journalists must also keep in mind that the language, images and framing choices they make can threaten their audiences’ mental health.
“If you’re a good reporter, you want to write really good stories that are compelling, that are vivid,” Pennebaker said. “Well, writing stories that are vivid and personal also affects your audience.” Pennebaker noted multiple studies on news media exposure causing mental health symptoms.
Your relationship with your sources may also cause anguish. “You’re having to play this really interesting, peculiar role of being warm and friendly, because you want to get information … to write a good story, which has the potential to really mess their lives up as well,” he said. “This is unlike human relationships. … You are in a sense almost exploiting this for the greater good.”
A bit of solace to young reporters: Pennebaker said the first years are often the hardest.
“If you make it seven years, you’ll probably survive,” he said. “Of course, you’re in a business that is one of the craziest most unpredictable professions.”
The Statehouse Reporting Fellowship is sponsored by Arnold Ventures. NPF is solely responsible for the content.
