Tackling the emotional toll together: How journalists address harassment with connective practices

Abstract

In this article, we examine how journalists address and tackle online harassment by connective practices that involve joint action with peers and editors that we find are particularly effective in addressing the emotional effects of harassment. Theoretically, we bridge community of practice research with theories of emotional labour to develop a novel perspective to examine online harassment. Drawing on 22 interviews with Finnish journalists, we find three categories of connective practices that are particularly effective in tackling harassment: (1) supportive connection between the journalist and the editor; (2) shared collegial practices among peers in the newsrooms and (3) emotional engagement among peers outside the newsroom. All three categories illustrate how journalists as a community of practice develop new practices through dynamic processes innovation, improvisation, trial and error, reciprocal learning and mutual engagement. Importantly, emotional labour forms an important dimension of these practices as the journalists jointly address and tackle the emotional effects of harassment. We posit that the effectiveness of these connective practices largely stems from their ability to provide emotional support. While addressing feelings of fear, anger and shame, these shared practices also help consolidate the newly acquired knowledge and the professional identity under attack. Finally, we offer recommendations for newsrooms and journalists on how to collectively counter harassment and develop policies to address it.

Addressing Online Harassment in Swedish Journalism: An Institutional Perspective on Management

“…Where these cognitive structures persist, the prevalence of mental health stigmatization within the industry becomes potent (Kotisova 2019), often blinding organizations to the subtler yet pervasive impacts of online harassment. Despite the notable insights provided by previous research highlighting journalists' perspectives on organizational deficiencies in addressing online harassment (Celuch et al 2023;Eberspacher 2019;Everbach 2022;Hagen 2015;Hiltunen & Suuronen 2022;Malcorps et al 2022;Kantola & Harju 2023;Miller 2021;Nelson 2022), this study extends this understanding by shedding light on the intertwined institutional dynamics between media managers and journalists. That is to say, it provides a fresh perspective that illuminates a critical subtlety previously overlooked in much of the existing research: both managers and journalists operate within the same institutional framework.…”

“…These studies suggest that journalists feel their employers do not have a comprehensive plan to combat online harassment, that such exposure is a natural facet of their job, and that they, therefore, frequently withhold their feelings when overwhelmed by emotional strain. Echoing this sentiment, Nordic studies, such as those by Hiltunen and Suuronen (2022), Kantola and Harju (2023), Celuch et al (2023), andHagen (2015), underscore the importance of a systematic approach. They particularly stress the need for nurturing transparent and supportive bonds between journalists, their editors, and employers, as well as promoting unity among colleagues to counteract the negative impact of harassment.…”

Uneasy self-promotion and tactics of patience: Finnish MPs’ ambivalent feelings about personalised politics on social media

“…Similarly, tentative reports in Finland suggest that adversarial relations among political groups have increased intimidation on social media, which often targets women representatives who work on equality and immigration issues (Hokkanen et al, 2021; Knuutila et al, 2019). In addition, Finnish female journalists seem to be subjected to more serious forms of harassment than their male colleagues (Kantola and Harju, 2021: 13). My research supports these findings, but there is considerable variation in the forms of online harassment targeting MPs.…”

“…These ‘tactics of boundary management’ (Lehto and Paasonen, 2021: 820) are quite similar to those used by mothers who participate in heated online parenting discussions, such as humour, the practice of forced empathy and curating one’s online presence. They also resemble the connective practices that journalists use, such as peer support and emotional control, in the forms of calmness, assertiveness and even contacting people who send insulting messages (Kantola and Harju, 2021: 7–12). When replying to insulting messages, MPs would, for instance, reply with a very proper statement: ‘the tone of your message is so mean that I will not continue this discussion’.…”

‘People tell me quite intimate things’: The circulation of feelings and vague intimacy on politicised Instagram

“…Curating one’s online presence is yet another example of the ‘tactics of boundary management’ (Lehto and Paasonen, 2021: 10), which is familiar to Finnish politicians (Mannevuo, 2022) and journalists (Kantola and Harju, 2021), who have neither the time, energy nor interest to discuss with hatemongers. Sometimes, tactics of boundary management may also refer to dealing with circulating stories about misery, pain and suffering, which tend to crawl under the skin – even though they are meant to be impersonal triggers for action.…”