No abstract

Since 2017, 518 journalists have been attacked while covering protests (U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, 2021) which is one of the most dangerous places to be as a journalist in the United States (Sterne & Peters, 2017). Despite the volatile climate around journalists as they cover increasingly dangerous protests (Luqiu, 2020), there is minimal understanding as to the effect of these events on them (Talabi, et al., 2021). Furthermore, there is a gap in the hostility literature examining harassment that journalists face in the field. Through a survey of U.S. journalists, this study finds that covering protests causes journalists mental and emotional health concerns, which influences how they view their journalistic roles. Furthermore, the effects of positive and negative encounters at protests affected journalists personally, depending on who the perpetrator was (protestor or law enforcement)—influencing everything from PTSD and anxiety to intentions to leave journalism. The paper ultimately underscores the need for news organizations to make sure journalists not only are safe, but also feel safe, when reporting in the field.

Suicide is an important issue facing students on college campuses. Student journalists face unique challenges covering suicide, including ethical considerations related to headline wording, text descriptions, and sourcing. Health advocates, news outlets, and professional journalism organizations partnered to develop guidelines for responsible suicide reporting. This study sought to understand the extent to which student journalists complied with the recommendations, which were designed to prevent so-called “copycat” deaths. Using content analysis, the study examined how 51 student newspapers covered suicide more than 3 years (2019–2021). It offers recommendations for students and advisors.