Articulating Journalists’ Emotional Experiences of Crisis: Touching Down

Abstract

In the chapter, the author illustrates and criticizes the ways in which the journalists’ emotional experience is shaped by the Foucauldian complex of the socio-material technologies of crisis news production, the work with words and images, the journalistic professional ideology and managerial practices, and, above all, journalists’ work on their selves, stimulating certain emotional reactions and suppressing others. Kotišová shows how the matrices of practical reason telling people how successful professionals should conduct themselves and operate their bodies, souls, and thoughts construct the forms of subjectivity that are most appropriate to the practice of crisis reporting. The fictional narrative revolves around James’ growing nervousness: he focuses more and more on his professional task and his experience becomes gradually determined by his job.