Journalists often cover and report on stories that may not only put their lives in danger physically but their mental health and well-being are at risk too.
PTSD in journalists can occur from a variety of issues such as covering natural disasters, human suffering and war.
Occupational stress is very present in the work of journalism and is often not talked about enough, consequently leading to a lack of professional care they should be receiving.
In an interview with The Journalist’s Resource, Natalee Seely says that covering trauma can unveil trauma. And this is what often happens to journalists.
Not many journalists are informed of the mental health impacts that they can encounter when working. The majority of journalists who are war correspondents have taken a form of training that prevents physical injuries. The training does not include any sort of mental health component to better prepare journalists for the psychological toll they may endure.
According to a study by The American Journal of Psychiatry, PTSD was the top mental health diagnosis for journalist war correspondents in 2002 being at 28.6%.
David Handschuh, a 9/11 survivor and photojournalist speaks on the psychological impact of witnessing the 9/11 tragedy firsthand.
“The damage to the soul, the wounding to the psyche is much more difficult to not only diagnose but to admit.”
The video also interviews Duncan Skiles, another photojournalist who was at the scene that day. He says that he had nightmares for a while and still today he is coping with the distress that capturing footage that day had put on him.
Handschuh says that one of the main issues for journalists suffering from PTSD is coming forward about their mental health issues and seeking the help needed due to the lack of services they are offered. He concluded in his research on trauma exposure and PTSD among photojournalists, that 98% of 875 photojournalists have been exposed to at least one traumatic event that mental health professionals would classify as traumatic.
When it comes to the education given to journalists on how to cover trauma news, or how to deal with post-traumatic stress after encountering tragedies, 53% out of 254 surveyed journalists have not received any form of mental health/related education.
When working in the field, it is essential that journalists are looking out for themselves, as there is a lack of support within the industry. Though of course there is counselling available, it is just not addressed in the workplace as much as it should be.
It is expected that journalists know their limits when it comes to what stories they are covering. But the pressure they may feel when covering assigned stories (not wanting to lose their job/bad rep) can prevent them from saying no, or seeking an alternative option.
A step-in action
Jane Hawkes, co-founder of the Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma recommends that journalists get peer support so that they can connect with other journalists who are experiencing similar issues dealing or coping with trauma. She says the main concern is breaking the stigma, and having more people talk and open up about their mental health can lead to news corporations implementing mental health education programs/trauma counselling for journalists.
It is clear, that journalists are not receiving as much support and professional care needed in order to deal with the aftermath of covering traumatic stories. Even though over the last few decades, more programs have become available, the conversation on mental health stays at a low level.
Hawkes says journalists need to initiate conversations on mental health before accepting hard stories to cover if they do decide to cover them. And companies need to implement or recommend counselling or coping mechanisms for journalists with PTSD so that journalists no longer suffer in silence.
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