Journalists these days face stress from several directions all at the same time — they’re covering an increasingly violent world, they are the target of threats and harassment both online and in person, and they deal with mistrust from the public — stoked by politicians who call their work “fake news.” The COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2020 brought illness, death, grief and uncertainty, all of which were a challenge to cover. The difficulty is compounded for marginalized groups.
Add in that the industry is under extreme financial pressure, and that newsroom leaders often aren’t trained to manage through all these challenges, and it is easy to see why some journalists would consider a new line of work altogether.
Therein lie the stakes if the profession does not come to terms with the many pressures facing journalists.
