Witnessing images of extreme violence: a psychological study of journalists in the newsroom

Abstract

ObjectiveUser Generated Content – photos and videos submitted to newsrooms by the public – has become a prominent source of information for news organisations. Journalists working with uncensored material can frequently witness disturbing images for prolonged periods. How this might affect their psychological health is not known and it is the focus of this study.DesignDescriptive, exploratory.SettingThe newsrooms of three international news organisations.ParticipantsOne hundred and sixteen journalists working with User Generated Content material.Main outcome measuresPsychometric data included the re-experiencing, avoidance and autonomic arousal indices of posttraumatic stress disorder (Impact of Event Scale-revised), depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II; BDI-II), a measure of psychological distress (GHQ-28), the latter comprising four subscales measuring somatisation, anxiety, social dysfunction and depression, and mean weekly alcohol consumption divided according to gender.ResultsRegression analyses revealed that frequent (i.e. daily) exposure to violent images independently predicted higher scores on all indices of the Impact of Event Scale-revised, the BDI-II and the somatic and anxiety subscales of the GHQ-28. Exposure per shift only predicted scores on the intrusion subscale of the Impact of Event Scale-revised.ConclusionsThe present study, the first of its kind, suggests that frequency rather than duration of exposure to images of graphic violence is more emotionally distressing to journalists working with User Generated Content material. Given that good journalism depends on healthy journalists, news organisations will need to look anew at what can be done to offset the risks inherent in viewing User Generated Content material. Our findings, in need of replication, suggest that reducing the frequency of exposure may be one way to go.

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

“…While inexperienced journalists can be more vulnerable, very experienced journalists can suffer from cumulative experiences (Backholm, ). The more frequently journalists are exposed to graphic violent images, the more they are at risk (Feinstein et al, ). The severity of mental‐health problems also depends on whether the journalist is exposed to ethical dilemmas and whether she feels work‐related guilt (Backholm & Idås, ; see also Kotisova, ).…”

“…Recently, however, more work on journalism and emotions has started to emerge within journalism studies, but also in trauma studies, psychology and psychiatry (e.g., Aoki, Malcolm, Yamaguchi, Thornicroft, & Henderson, ; Feinstein, Audet, & Waknine, ), and even in the non‐profit sector (e.g., Dubberley, Griffin, & Bal, ). The interest marks an “affective turn” in media studies (Richards & Rees, ) that goes hand in hand with corresponding changes in journalism practice.…”

Covering traumatic news stories: Factors associated with post‐traumatic stress disorder among journalists

“…In some instances, they are in danger of direct harm (e.g., Committee to Protect Journalists, 2015), and most often, they bear witness to gruesome events involving death and destruction (e.g., Simpson & Boggs, 1999). Some journalists experience frequent, repetitive, and prolonged exposure to traumatic content without ever leaving the newsroom (Feinstein, Audet, & Waknine, 2014;Weidmann & Papsdorf, 2010). Research to date suggests that between 86% and 100% of journalists are exposed to potentially traumatic work-related events over the course of their careers, commonly responding to events involving automobile accidents, fires, murder, and mass casualties (e.g., Dworznik, 2011;Feinstein, Owen, & Blair, 2002;Pyevich, Newman, & Daleiden, 2003; Simpson & Boggs, River Smith, PhD, is now a staff psychologist with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Tulsa, OK.…”

Reducing Affective Responses to Surgical Images and Videos Through Stylization

“…skin diseases), as well as user‐generated content featuring nudity and pornography, injuries or violence. These can psychologically impact professionals who report [Joh18, Juk17, SDN18] or monitor it [FAW14]. In particular, pornography is often found inadvertently by users and especially young audiences [Hal14, LSG*18, MMA*16, SP14, WTSHS15] while browsing for information.…”