Gathering emotion: examining newspaper journalists' engagement in emotional labor

The elephant in the newsroom: Current research on journalism and emotion

“…In Author's study of crisis reporters, the most frequently mentioned way of dealing with traumatic experiences and other sources of work-related pressure was debriefing with friends-and particularly colleagues-over a glass (Kotisova, 2017a). Other studies confirm that the coping mechanisms often include the journalists' self-help community, such as discussions with more experienced fellow reporters (Hopper & Huxford, 2015;Pedelty, 1995). None of these coping strategies are usually institutionalized, though.…”

“…The mental ill‐health effects follow from the intense feelings that journalists experience at work, such as overall sadness and sorrow, indignation, horror, shock, anger, pity, empathy, compassion, fear, anxiety, panic, stress, tension, guilt, or overwhelming fatigue. Above all, stress and ill‐effects result from the commitment to suppress these feelings, so that they do not show up in the front region of journalism, that is, from the reconfiguration of the self along the lines of rationalism represented by journalistic objectivity (Kotisova, ; Backholm, ; Hopper & Huxford, ). Not only can the requirement to suppress emotions have harmful effects, it can be unfeasible in certain contexts.…”

“…Yet the coping strategies and mechanisms deployed by journalists in defence against mental ill‐health that previous research has identified are largely individual: avoidance of potentially distressing tasks, use of black humour, controlling one's emotions and memories (see below), focusing on the technical/practical/mechanical aspects of work, or “doing the job,” exercise, and substance (ab)use, often alcohol (Kotisova, ; Buchanan & Keats, ; Pedelty, ). As Hopper and Huxford (, p. 37) observed, “there was a lot of truth ‘in the old stereotype of the reporter who heads straight to the bar at the end of the day’”. In Author's study of crisis reporters, the most frequently mentioned way of dealing with traumatic experiences and other sources of work‐related pressure was debriefing with friends—and particularly colleagues—over a glass (Kotisova, ).…”

“…Peters () even considers emotion management one of the crucial foundations of a journalists' job. Emotion management typically means developing a professional shield that brings about a specific semi‐detached emotional style that has been called “autopilot,” “cynicism,” “right distance,” or “American cool” (Backholm, ; Hopper & Huxford, , ; Jukes, ; Richards & Rees, ). While looking into the development of this “cool” emotional posture, Author () described how the defensive and necessary flattening of one's emotions arises from media organizational logic and the role technology plays.…”

“…While looking into the development of this “cool” emotional posture, Author () described how the defensive and necessary flattening of one's emotions arises from media organizational logic and the role technology plays. Seen from another perspective, the necessity of emotional labour stems from a conflict between personal and professional identities; or, as Hopper and Huxford (, p. 38) put it, “the suppression of personal, emotional identity for the sake of an ideologically driven, detached professional self.” The emotional labour is a process of negotiation and, eventually, reconciliation of the two. The closer the professional task comes to a journalist's mind and heart—for example, when a reported event involves her relatives and friends—the tougher the emotional labour is (Kotisova, ).…”