Stress in media minefield

Job-related stress in the field of journalism is a global issue and Pakistan is no exception. According to the annual report (2021) by Reporters without Borders (RSF), the Pakistani media, once vibrant and active, have now become a priority target for the authorities. As such, a report released by the Karachi-based Center for Excellence in Journalism (CEJ) comes as a warning for both the government and the media houses of the country.

The report is based on assessments made during the last three years. Although more than 3,000 journalists work in Karachi, the report is based on consultations with only 107 journalists working in Karachi-based media outlets. Due to the miniscule sampling size, the data cannot be termed as representative of the whole country’s journalists.The findings are based on the assessment of journalists who came in to seek free counselling service offered by the center, and compiled by Dr. Asha Bedar, a member of their team.

According to the report by CEJ – a non-governmental organisation – one in three journalists were found to be in low spirits, while one in four journalists experienced distress, because of unnecessary pressure. From among the 107 journalists who visited the facility for consultation, 40 were women and 50 were men. Almost all of them acknowledged that stress was part of the profession, but some of them saw it as a source of encouragement. Only four journalists who went for a consultation said they had never experienced stress in their work.

Those who visited Dr Bedar for consultation were of the view that with the advent of private television and the onset of breaking news, the level of stress has increased considerably. They added that during the good old days when the people had to depend solely on newspapers there was relative calm – a larger sense of happiness, freedom, and peace within and among all people and nations.

According to the data, half of the people who came for the consultation were reporters and sub-editors, while the other half included producers, photographers, anchors, newsroom managers, and students among others. Most of the journalists who came for consultation were between the ages of 20 and 50.

Dr. Bedar also revealed that during the consultation process, 45 journalists were found to be emotionally drained, while 19 experienced stress and anger. The report, which covers the period between 2018 and 2020, also released some details about the victims of different kinds of abuses: two out of three journalists said they had been bullied and threatened by high-ranking officials. One in 10 journalists said they were sexually harassed while performing journalistic duties. A number of them also experienced physical, verbal or online harassment, not only by their colleagues and senior officials, but also by others.

It is indeed a dangerous profession and history is replete with cases of journalists murdered for exposing the truth by those in authority. According to a White Paper issued at the end of 2020 by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), 2,658 journalists lost their lives in the line of duty. Iraq topped the list of most dangerous countries for journalists, as 340 journalists lost their lives there, followed by Mexico (178 journalists), the Philippines (178 journalists), Pakistan (138 journalists), and India (116 journalists).

The most prominent retaliation case however, was the killing of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, a writer who had harshly criticized Saudi Arabia’s royal regime in opinion pieces published by The Washington Post and other outlets. As a prominent Saudi journalist, he covered major stories, including the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the rise of the late al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, for various Saudi news organisations.

Other reasons for frustration among working journalists could be growing unemployment in the media industry. According to a report by I.A. Rehman, published in the daily Dawn of November 12, 2020, “More than 15,000 journalists and support workers have been rendered jobless, and the process has picked up speed over the past few weeks. Many more journalists have been compelled to accept unbearable cuts in their wages thereby causing a sharp decline and deterioration in their services and lifestyles both.”

Every day, journalists run from pillar to post in search of stories. It is indeed a nerve-wracking job; the daily grind to get stories and then rush to the office to meet the deadline while hurriedly perfecting the nitty-gritty on the desktop. Journalists sometimes encounter rude, aggressive and arrogant ‘sources’ in quest for an exclusive story. This is, in fact, a global phenomenon. In 2000, studies showed that, depending on their beat or work location, 4 percent to 59 percent journalists have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Terms like stress, burnout and PTSD were unheard of with regard to journalism until the middle of the 20th century, but after closely examining hundreds of documents, including books and magazine articles, Fred Fedler, a University of Central Florida Communications Professor, found that even though reporters didn’t use the word “stress,” they experienced it: they were horrified by what they saw when reporting on crimes or fires. They felt nervous and depressed and they had nightmares.

It is high time that the authorities take the issues of stress and depression among journalists seriously and create a healthier work environment, as well as providing counselling service to journalists working in stressful situations. This is especially important in a society that still sees mental health as a taboo.

The study carried out by the CEJ is significant, and hopefully, it will raise awareness regarding the importance of mental wellbeing for all media professionals.

The writer is Sub-Editor, Bol News