#BeObjective #BeKind #Be... Journalists' emotional labour in the era of social media

Lead Research Organisation: Middlesex University
Department Name: Faculty of Arts & Creative Industries

Abstract

The suicide of television presenter Caroline Flack in February 2020 raised on the public agenda the issue of abuse on social media, particularly that targeted at public figures, and the neglect of care for wellbeing and mental health of those who are at the receiving end of this abuse. While we are starting to scratch the surface by discussing these issues, and there are political efforts to regulate online harms, journalists are a group of public communicators who are daily active on social media and deserve immediate attention in this regard. This is because their emotional labour (worker's management of emotion which is required based on the requirements of their job or profession) has been historically heavily neglected by both the academia and industry; they are faced with a range of new challenges in social media environments, and continued overlooking of this issue might result in increased degrees of stress, burnout, depression, anxiety and an estrangement from self within the journalism community.

With the embrace of emotion in daily life and the growing awareness of the effects of negativity and abuse on social media, the traditional advice given to journalists to deal with criticism, such as developing 'thick skin', seems outdated and potentially harmful to journalists' mental health. Yet, alternative advice is rare. Emotional education is missing from the curricula and general coping mechanisms are currently largely individual and include actions such as information avoidance and drinking, as there is no systematic or institutionalised support offered to journalists to deal with issues that arise from their job - such as stress, anxiety and depression.

This project aims to fill that gap with the analysis of the forms and effects of emotional labour present in social media journalism and exploration of journalists' perceptions of best practice to deal with negativity on social media and support systems they would welcome in the process. Alongside these research aims, the project aims to develop guidelines for 'emotional education' which would prepare journalists for exposure to challenges and dilemmas brought about by their work, as well as guidelines for development of support systems for coping with negative effects of the job.

The focus of the study is on the analysis of social media behaviour, experiences and opinions of British political journalists. Methodologically, the project draws on the Digital Methods (DM) paradigm, since its aim is to combine DM with traditional techniques of analysis. Specifically, the project applies a multi-method approach by employing digital ethnography, digital media analysis, content analysis and interviews.

The findings from the project will be published in the manuscript Tweeting Brexit and two journal articles, as well as presented at several conferences and research symposium organised by the PI. A range of stakeholders, including journalists, journalist organisations, educators and publishers, regulators and mental health charities, will be engaged in working groups that will draft recommendations for, on the one hand journalists 'emotional education', and on the other hand wellbeing support for ill-effects of work. Through specialist workshops and discussions on emotional education two key non-academic audiences will benefit from this project: journalism (and other content creating) educators and aspiring media professionals (and emerging content creators in general). The project has broader, transformative potential beyond journalism studies with its aim to raise workplace mental health on the public agenda, which will be achieved through a public roundtable on the topic of journalists' mental health and promotion of project's findings by stakeholders, such as the European Federation of Journalists, which will act as a Project Partner.
 
Description All the objectives of the Fellowship have been met.

During the first year of the Fellowship, the data has been collected and analysed relating to journalists' use of social media, ways in which they negotiate this labour, emotional challenges they face and ways in which they manage these (objectives 5,6,7). The findings contribute to wider international research efforts on these topics and serve to evidence the claims about ubiquitousness of challenges that journalists working on social media face, and the negative effects that exposure to online abuse has on journalists and the wider industry. This data has informed several chapters in the book Tweeting Brexit which has been submitted to Routledge and has been published in May 2022. It has also been presented to and discussed with practitioners and journalists' unions in bilateral talks and stakeholder events, as well as in academic conferences.

Additionally, significant new knowledge was generated pertaining to two key topics. On the one hand, insights into journalists' perceptions of what would constitute effective support systems for their well-being and mental health were generated. Some of this data has been presented to journalists working across Europe and their unions at the event organised by the European Federation of Journalists in March 2022. Several unions reported wishing to utilise this evidence in arguing for better support systems for journalists in their respective countries. The data has also discussed with stakeholders from national and international journalist organisations in a working group, which the Fellow organised and carried out in April 2022, where recommendations have been agreed for supporting journalists' well-being (objectives 3 and 4). These have been shared widely by key stakeholders, including by the project partner European Federation of Journalists. They have been reported by several other journalists' unions in Europe, too.

On the other hand, the project unveiled risks from digital connectedness, particularly in relation to embeddedness of smartphones and social media in journalists' daily working routines. Here, journalists who were interviewed for the project spoke of a range of disconnection strategies they employ as preventive and coping strategies to safeguard well-being and optimise work. This issue is largely underexplored in journalism studies and lacks acknowledgment in the industry. It opens up important new research questions about the risks from digital connectedness in this, and related industries, as well as organisational and policy responses that can and should support workers in this aspect of labour. These findings have been presented at a research symposium 'Digital exhaustion' and a research paper reporting these has been published in the top peer-reviewed journalism journal - Digital journalism. Further research on this topic is now being discussed with colleagues from the US and Australia who have also done research on digital disconnection.

The project has had an extensive dissemination phase through which objectives 1 and 2 have been met - raising the issues of journalists' emotional labour and well-being on the agenda of academics and industry and contributing to informed debates about these. The Fellow has presented findings on these topics at eight academic conferences (national and international), sparking academics' interest and contributing to establishment of partnerships with new networks which are working on issues of journalists' well-being. For example, the Fellow joined the Journalism Education and Trauma Research Group, and the Happiness Project that connects scholars investigating journalists' well-being. Collaborative publishing opportunities within these networks have been pursued and materialised via a special journal issue and edited volume to be published by Routledge in 2023, respectively. In terms of raising awareness and informing debates, the Fellow has published a research article and an analysis piece in the industry magazine on the topic of emotional labour journalists experienced in the pandemic, ensuring the data is available to academic audiences, as well as professional practitioners. Through networks established during the dissemination phase, the Fellow also identified and pursued opportunities to engage in comparative research. The findings from the study have been joined with data gathered in Germany and the Fellow published a journal article in collaboration with Dr Manuel Menke about the improvements needed to support systems in journalism. Further, the issues of journalists' online safety, which the project identified, have been raised on the international agenda through invited participation to the Thomson Reuters Foundation working group, as well as in the contributions to the consultation on UNESCO's Action plan for the safety of journalists.
Exploitation Route The data and insights generated in the project are being taken forward by both academic and non-academic stakeholders.

Regarding academic routes, the Fellow is discussing further research projects on the issue of digital disconnection in journalism and related industries with colleagues in the US and Australia. Further, the Fellow is collaborating with the Journalism Education and Trauma Research Group in developing a research bid that would build on the project by exploring pathways to building resilience in journalism. Through the Happiness Project, the Fellow has developed new networks with scholars working on issues explored in the project, and has contributed a chapter reporting on project's outcomes to an edited volume which the network is in the process of submitting to Routledge. Bilateral talks are ongoing with members of the network to explore further publishing and research opportunities on the topic.

As to non-academic audiences, the European Federation of Journalists has been briefed on project's data and is looking at using it to inform their labour right initiatives. Representatives of several journalists' unions across Europe have expressed interest in using some aspects of data in creating campaign and support mechanisms relating to tackling online abuse in journalism. A range of other stakeholders, including organisations such as the British National Union of Journalists, UNESCO, Headlines Network and Rory Peck Trust, as well as media companies such as the BBC and Reach, have participated in the working group on journalists' well-being organised by the Fellow. This has facilitated the knowledge exchange between the project and stakeholders, enabling them to use project's findings in their own efforts. For example, British publisher Reach has been working on implementing several recommendations from the working group, and has already put in place social support systems and offered training in enhancing resilience (delivered by the Fellow), which were identified by the working group as important practices in supporting journalists' well-being. Also, the findings of the project relating to best practices in safeguarding well-being while working on social media have directly informed a free e-learning course on journalists' online safety launched in late 2022 by the National Council for the Training of Journalists.
Sectors Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Government, Democracy and Justice
URL https://www.mdx.ac.uk/news/2022/05/mdx-praised-for-hosting-roundtable
 
Description To enable impact, the Fellow has worked on establishing networks and relationships with research users, managing to engage a range of stakeholders, from media organisations (e.g., BBC, Reach, New Statesman Media Group) to international organisations supporting journalists' safety and well-being (e.g., European Federation of Journalists - EFJ, UNESCO, Dart Centre, National Union of Journalists, Rory Peck Trust, Headlines Network etc.) Evidence of impact has been clear in the knowledge exchange activities undertaken with stakeholders. Specifically, briefing has been carried out with the European Federation of Journalists' policy officer who is looking at the ways in which the EFJ can use the findings to inform their labour right initiatives when it comes to remote working and organisational support for journalists' well-being. The findings related to online abuse in journalism and support systems for well-being have been presented and discussed with practitioners, unions, and representatives of stakeholder international organisations (e.g., Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, International Federation of Journalists) at the EFJ event in March 2022. Here, representatives of several European journalists' unions have requested further information that might assist them in designing policies and campaigns for fighting online abuse in journalism. Findings about best practices in online safety have also been included in the free e-learning course launched by the National Council of Journalists with excellent feedback from those taking the course; they have been included in the consultation on the UNESCO's Action plan on the safety of journalists; and they informed discussions of the Thomson Reuters Foundation's working group on journalists' online safety which the Fellow contributed to. Substantial work has also gone in identifying gaps in support systems for journalists' well-being and raising these on the agenda of stakeholders. These have been discussed in a published peer-reviewed journal article, at an international conference, and in discussions with industry, practitioners, and civil society organisations supporting journalists. Agreement has been reached in these conversations that more can and should be done on the organisational level to support journalists' well-being, with some stakeholders who were engaged in the discussion, such as Reach and National Union of Journalists, actively working on implementing some of the agreed recommendations. Findings of the project have also informed the workshop 'Enhancing resilience in media work' which the Fellow developed and delivered across the UK - primarily to journalism trainees, but also in several newsrooms. The data from the post-workshop survey suggests that this intervention and the pedagogy on which it is based, both developed as part of the project, have much potential to raise awareness about key stressors in everyday work among practitioners, and equip them with knowledge about practical strategies they can use in order to mitigate negative effects of work. Alongside academic publishing, findings of the project are also being used to develop a textbook/professional resource focusing on strategies for managing emotional labour and building resilience in journalism, aimed at emerging media professionals, which has been commissioned by Palgrave - a prestigious academic publisher. Three reviewers who interrogated the proposal concluded that it is highly innovative and original, instigating a new research-informed pedagogic approach to media work. The manuscript is currently being produced with a prospective publication date in late 2023.
First Year Of Impact 2022
Sector Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Government, Democracy and Justice
Impact Types Societal,Policy & public services
 
Description Happiness project 
Organisation Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso
Country Chile 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Based on networking at academic conferences, the Fellow has been invited to join the Happiness in journalism project, an informal network of international scholars who work on journalists' well-being. The Fellow participated in the first roundtable of the project, held in February 2022, by sharing some key insights from the project. She has also contributed an abstract which formed part of the network's book proposal for an edited volume on happiness in journalism, successfully submitted to Routledge in 2022. Subsequently, the Fellow delivered the full chapter titled 'Developing Psychological Capital to Support Journalists' Well-Being' which has been accepted for publication following peer-review. The edited volume has a prospective publishing date in late 2023.
Collaborator Contribution The network has been initiated by four colleagues from Europe, South and North America, who have organised the initial roundtable for introductions, which the Fellow contributed to, as well a mailing list among members for dissemination of information among the network. The network leadership has also organised a proposal for the edited volume 'Happiness in Journalism', to which the Fellow contributed with an abstract, which has been successfully commissioned by Routledge. The Fellow contributed a chapter to the edited volume, and the editors/network leadership has organised peer-review and has been managing the chapter submission process as well as the organisation of promotional materials and activities for the book.
Impact The network is commissioned by Routledge to produce the edited volume 'Happiness in journalism' in 2023. The Fellow contributed a chapter to this volume, based on the outputs from the Fellowship.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Happiness project 
Organisation University of Amsterdam
Department Media Studies
Country Netherlands 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Based on networking at academic conferences, the Fellow has been invited to join the Happiness in journalism project, an informal network of international scholars who work on journalists' well-being. The Fellow participated in the first roundtable of the project, held in February 2022, by sharing some key insights from the project. She has also contributed an abstract which formed part of the network's book proposal for an edited volume on happiness in journalism, successfully submitted to Routledge in 2022. Subsequently, the Fellow delivered the full chapter titled 'Developing Psychological Capital to Support Journalists' Well-Being' which has been accepted for publication following peer-review. The edited volume has a prospective publishing date in late 2023.
Collaborator Contribution The network has been initiated by four colleagues from Europe, South and North America, who have organised the initial roundtable for introductions, which the Fellow contributed to, as well a mailing list among members for dissemination of information among the network. The network leadership has also organised a proposal for the edited volume 'Happiness in Journalism', to which the Fellow contributed with an abstract, which has been successfully commissioned by Routledge. The Fellow contributed a chapter to the edited volume, and the editors/network leadership has organised peer-review and has been managing the chapter submission process as well as the organisation of promotional materials and activities for the book.
Impact The network is commissioned by Routledge to produce the edited volume 'Happiness in journalism' in 2023. The Fellow contributed a chapter to this volume, based on the outputs from the Fellowship.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Happiness project 
Organisation University of Minnesota
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Based on networking at academic conferences, the Fellow has been invited to join the Happiness in journalism project, an informal network of international scholars who work on journalists' well-being. The Fellow participated in the first roundtable of the project, held in February 2022, by sharing some key insights from the project. She has also contributed an abstract which formed part of the network's book proposal for an edited volume on happiness in journalism, successfully submitted to Routledge in 2022. Subsequently, the Fellow delivered the full chapter titled 'Developing Psychological Capital to Support Journalists' Well-Being' which has been accepted for publication following peer-review. The edited volume has a prospective publishing date in late 2023.
Collaborator Contribution The network has been initiated by four colleagues from Europe, South and North America, who have organised the initial roundtable for introductions, which the Fellow contributed to, as well a mailing list among members for dissemination of information among the network. The network leadership has also organised a proposal for the edited volume 'Happiness in Journalism', to which the Fellow contributed with an abstract, which has been successfully commissioned by Routledge. The Fellow contributed a chapter to the edited volume, and the editors/network leadership has organised peer-review and has been managing the chapter submission process as well as the organisation of promotional materials and activities for the book.
Impact The network is commissioned by Routledge to produce the edited volume 'Happiness in journalism' in 2023. The Fellow contributed a chapter to this volume, based on the outputs from the Fellowship.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Happiness project 
Organisation University of Utah
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Based on networking at academic conferences, the Fellow has been invited to join the Happiness in journalism project, an informal network of international scholars who work on journalists' well-being. The Fellow participated in the first roundtable of the project, held in February 2022, by sharing some key insights from the project. She has also contributed an abstract which formed part of the network's book proposal for an edited volume on happiness in journalism, successfully submitted to Routledge in 2022. Subsequently, the Fellow delivered the full chapter titled 'Developing Psychological Capital to Support Journalists' Well-Being' which has been accepted for publication following peer-review. The edited volume has a prospective publishing date in late 2023.
Collaborator Contribution The network has been initiated by four colleagues from Europe, South and North America, who have organised the initial roundtable for introductions, which the Fellow contributed to, as well a mailing list among members for dissemination of information among the network. The network leadership has also organised a proposal for the edited volume 'Happiness in Journalism', to which the Fellow contributed with an abstract, which has been successfully commissioned by Routledge. The Fellow contributed a chapter to the edited volume, and the editors/network leadership has organised peer-review and has been managing the chapter submission process as well as the organisation of promotional materials and activities for the book.
Impact The network is commissioned by Routledge to produce the edited volume 'Happiness in journalism' in 2023. The Fellow contributed a chapter to this volume, based on the outputs from the Fellowship.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Analysis piece published in an industry magazine 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact An analysis piece discussing some of the findings from the study was commissioned by the editor of the Press Gazette, the British media trade magazine dedicated to journalism and the media, and published on magazine website, as well as promoted in its newsletter and via social media channels. Even based on Twitter analytics alone, the information reached more than several thousand people. Importantly, these are practitioners and industry stakeholders who may act based on the findings about negative impact of digital transformations in the industry, although the impact on decision-making is of yet unknown.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://pressgazette.co.uk/digital-transformations-in-pandemic-affected-journalist-wellbeing-job-sat...
 
Description Briefing with European Federation of Journalists 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact The Fellow has met with the Policy and Project Officer at the European Federation of Journalists, the largest organisation of journalists in Europe, representing over 320.000 journalists from 45 countries. The EFJ was briefed about the key findings from the project. Ways in which the organisation can use the data from the project in their efforts and campaigns related to gender equality and protection of journalists' labour rights were discussed, as well as opportunities to present and discuss the findings in international stakeholder meetings and events. Plans were made for the data on online abuse in journalism to be presented and discussed at the EFJ conference "How can gender equality and diversity promote trust in the media?"
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://europeanjournalists.org/blog/2022/02/17/final-conference-how-can-gender-equality-and-diversi...
 
Description Consultation on UNESCO's Action plan for safety of journalist 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact The Fellow has been invited to contribute to the the Academic Consultation on the UN Action Plan on the Safety of Journalists, which she carried out in June 2022. In her contribution, the Fellow outlined key issues and solutions to safeguarding journalists' online safety, based on the findings of the project.

The contribution also featured as part of the 2022 IAMCR Conference (held on July 11-15 2022).

The input and insights, alongside those of other colleagues, have provided the basis for the recommendations from academia to the implementation agenda for the UN Action Plan beyond 2022. In particular, the recommendations put significant focus on issues of journalists' online safety, which the Fellow advocated for.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://iamcr.org/beijing2022/online/partner-sessions
 
Description Discussion about online abuse in journalism with journalists' unions 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The Fellow participated in the expert panel 'Tackling online abuse' at the "How can gender equality and diversity promote trust in the media?" event organised by the European Federation of Journalists. She reported data from the project pertaining to the scale of, consequences, and possible solutions to the online abuse in journalism. The audience, comprised primarily of journalists and representatives of journalists' unions, requested further information about discussed evidence by posing questions during and after the panel, reportedly in order to inform their own practice and decision-making. Several journalists and unions have tweeted about the findings presented in the talk, hence making the information available to several thousands of their followers.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://europeanjournalists.org/blog/2022/02/17/final-conference-how-can-gender-equality-and-diversi...
 
Description Findings presented at the AJE seminar 'Giving emotional flack jackets to journalism students' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The Fellow presented the research-informed pedagogic approach to building emotional intelligence and resilience in journalism education to stakeholders - journalism educators, journalists, and representatives of journalist-centred civil society organisations. The presentation received positive evaluations and sparked a lively debate among participants. Journalism educators commented that the proposed pedagogic approach is original, important and user-friendly, and expressed the desire to learn more about it so they can apply it in their teaching. Based on this presentation, the Fellow also established a collaboration with a research group on trauma informed literacy, with which she made plans for future related activities.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://ajeuk.org/aje-winter-seminar-2020-giving-emotional-flak-jackets-to-journalism-students/
 
Description Free e-learning course on online safety 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The Fellow was invited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) to co-develop an e-learning course for online safety and enhancing resilience, based on her research.

The free course takes two hours to complete and is for both working journalists and journalism students. It aims to raise awareness and provide essential guidance to support journalists if they face difficult situations as a direct result of their job. Online safety and protection, managing difficult situations while reporting, knowing your rights, managing distressing stories, resilience in the newsroom and mental health and wellbeing are all covered.

Its key beneficiaries are journalism trainees and practicing journalists. The course launched in late 2022 and has had over 100 enrolments in the first 3 months. It is enabling beneficiaries to make informed decisions about their online safety, with 75% of respondents who completed feedback forms rating the course as excellent or very good.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.nctj.com/cpd-courses/safety-and-resilience-for-journalists/
 
Description Presentation of findings at the 2022 Digital exhaustion symposium 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The Fellow presented findings from the project in the paper 'Digital disconnection as journalists' coping and preventive strategy in managing work and well-being' at the 2022 Digital exhaustion symposium held in Exeter in May 2022. The symposium was interdisciplinary with the issues of digital connectedness discussed with examples from various industries, as well as general social media users.

There was lots of interest in the experiences of journalists the Fellow spoke about, with comments being made about the changes in views on how journalists interact with digital technologies and the impact it has on their well-being. Comparisons with other professions and practices were pursued and discussed, which opened new areas of inquiry.

The participants explored opportunities for joint publishing of the papers presented at the symposium.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation of findings at the 2022 ECREA Journalism studies conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The Fellow presented findings of the project in the paper titled 'Being a lab rat and a punch bag': British journalists' emotional labour in negotiating harassment on Twitter' at the ECREA Journalism studies conference held in June 2022 in Utrecht. The paper reported on the forms on emotional labour journalists' engage with when faced with online abuse, and individual-level strategies they employ to try to mitigate the impact of negative emotions.

In the discussion following presentation, the Fellow answered questions about the perceptions of online abuse within newsrooms and reactions to it. Attendees reported these informing their views on how online abuse is perceived by professionals within newsrooms.

The Fellow also contributed to the podcast that reported on some key findings discussed at the conference.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://ecreajournalism2022.journalismlab.nl/
 
Description Presentation of findings at the 2022 ECREA conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The Fellow presented the findings of the project, combined in a collaborative effort with Dr Manuel Menke from University of Copenhagen, in the paper titled 'Organisational and social support for journalists' well-being: Comparative analysis of Germany and United Kingdom.' The conference was held in Aarhus in October 2022. In the paper, the findings about the issues relating to social and organisational support in British newsrooms have been compared with the research from German newsrooms carried out by Dr Menke.

Some attendees reported feeling surprised by some of the findings, particularly with learning about the persisting 'macho' narratives in examined newsrooms, which seemed to change their views on how much the industry has progressed on this topic in the past few years. The Fellow also answered questions about the potential reasons why newsroom managers are not perceived as being able to adequately support journalists in issues relating to online abuse, which was also described as insightful.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://conferences.au.dk/ecrea2022
 
Description Presentation of findings at the 2022 MeCCSA conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The Fellow presented findings from the project in the paper titled 'Tweeting Brexit: British journalists' boundary work and emotional labour in negotiating social media use' at the annual MeCCSA conference held in September 2022 in Aberdeen. The paper discussed the norms and practices British journalists observe in their tweeting as well as their reasoning for pursuing these.

In the discussion that followed, the Fellow answered questions about media organisation's social media policies, their impact on journalists' work, similarities and differences among journalists working for different types of media, as well as the impact of online abuse in ways of self-censorship. Attendees reported feeling more perceptive about journalists' reasoning for observing particular norms on social media following the talk.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://easychair.org/smart-program/MeCCSA2022/
 
Description Presentation of findings at the 2022 PSA MPG conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The Fellow presented findings of the project in a paper titled 'Twitter's uncivil Brexit talk & political pluralism: The case of British political journalists' at the Political Studies Association Media and Politics Group Annual (Hybrid) Conference in November 2022 in Liverpool. The paper reported on the extent to which and ways in which British political journalists perceive Twitter to be conducive to promoting pluralism in its Brexit discussions.

In the lively debate following paper presentations, the Fellow addressed questions about the potential motivations journalists had for outlining the difficulties in working on Twitter, as well as the ways this aspect of work impacted on them. The similarities were established and discussed in the ways in which political talk on Twitter might affect other actors, such as citizens and politicians. These comparisons allowed for discussion of new research avenues and potential collaborations in pursuing solutions to online abuse on social media.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/communication-and-media/research/digi-pol/events/political-studies-assoc...
 
Description Presentation of findings at the 2022 UNESCO conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact The Fellow presented a paper titled 'Developing emotional intelligence for building resilience in journalism' at UNESCO's 2022 Academic Conference on the Safety of Journalists. Attendees described the pedagogic approach to enhancing resilience as insightful and important in equipping journalists with skills and abilities to care for their online safety and overall well-being.

The UNESCO team has been in touch following the presentation with an invitation to the consultation on its Action plan on the safety of journalists, which the Fellow carried out in June 2022.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://events.unesco.org/event?id=3623475013
 
Description Presentation of findings at the PSA Media and Politics Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact The Fellow presented the findings from the study in a paper presentation titled 'Pride and Anxiety: British journalists' emotional labour in the Covid-19 pandemic' at the international PSA Media and Politics group conference. The audience, comprised of practitioners, scholars researching this field, and students studying it, engaged in a discussion of journalists' mental health and organisational support for journalists' well-being. Following the presentation, the Fellow established connections with several key stakeholders with whom collaborations are being discussed.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/events/PSA-Media-and-Politics-Conference.aspx
 
Description Research symposium 'Emotional labour in media work' 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The Fellow organised the research symposium 'Emotional labour in media work' that was held in April 2022. It was attended by more than 80 people who participated in discussions about insightful and timely research on emotional labour in diverse forms of media work. It was an international research event that included 15 paper presentations and engaged 27 researchers across the world. There were case studies from Brazil, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ukraine, Russia, Estonia, China, India and Indonesia.

Participants reported they learned about the range and scale of issues that media workers in different context face when managing emotional labour in their industries, informing their views on the topic.

It was also a great networking opportunity, as several participants who met at the symposium pursued further collaborations following the symposium.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://drive.google.com/file/d/155Komf0avK_VRcvHv5cGZQA8-_UVV-bI/view?usp=sharing
 
Description Resilience workshops with emerging media professionals 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The Fellow developed and delivered 'Enhancing resilience in media work' workshop, based on research gathered in the project. In total, 13 workshops have been delivered from April to July 2022 across the UK, each lasting around 1-2 hours. Of these, nine workshops were in-person events, while four have been held online. Also, nine workshops included emerging media professionals - journalism trainees studying at college or university level, while four workshops gathered practicing media professionals.

The post-workshop survey has been completed by 80 participants. The data from the survey suggests that 91.3% of participants reported having a good understanding (somewhat and strongly agree) of stressors and other emotional situations they (might) face in media work prior to the workshop. Despite the high awareness to start with, 37.5% reported that the workshop increased their knowledge of these challenges substantially (strongly agree) and for 47.5% to some degree (somewhat agree).

Also, 42.6% of participants reported being aware of the strategies to manage stressors prior to the workshop (somewhat and strongly agree). This percentage rose to 90.1% following the workshop, with a high 73.8% of participants 'strongly agreeing' that their understanding of these strategies has been improved by the participation in the workshop.

Hence, the evidence indicates that the workshop had a positive impact on emerging media professionals' awareness of key stressors in everyday work, as well as equipping them with knowledge of strategies they can use to mitigate the negative impact of these stressors.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Roundtable 'Dealing with online abuse in journalism' 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The public roundtable held in April 2022, organised by the Fellow and hosted by the Professor of Journalism and ex-BBC Special Correspondent Kurt Barling, focussed on journalists' experiences of online abuse and ways in which the issue can be addressed. Speakers included Belgian journalist, presenter and filmmaker Florence Hainaut, who made a documentary #SalePute (#FatUglySlut in its English version) about the impact of misogyny, rape and death threats online, former news editor and journalism lecturer Rebecca Whittington, now Reach's Online Safety Editor and Camille Petit, Communications & Project Officer at European Federation of Journalists, which supports more than 300,000 journalists in 45 countries. The event was attended in person and online by over 50 guests.

Several solutions have been put forward, including the call for more efforts in monitoring the trends and issues related to online abuse, raising the issue on the agenda of media companies, investing more resources in the development of safeguarding and well-being systems in newsrooms, and the change to the culture of journalism towards being more collegiate and supportive to those facing these challenges.

Through engagement of key stakeholders in the event, the Fellow was invited to engage in future related activities of stakeholders. For example, one of these included contributing to the NCTJ's e-learning course on journalists' online safety.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.mdx.ac.uk/news/2022/05/mdx-praised-for-hosting-roundtable
 
Description Working group on journalists' online safety 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact The Fellow was invited to form part of the Working group 'Investing in online safety protocols for journalists' organised by the Thomson Reuters Foundation as part of the 2022 Trust conference. She contributed to the discussion about issues relating to journalists' online safety alongside representatives of media companies, organisations focusing on journalists' labour and well-being, and platforms, among others.

Several key issues relating to journalists' online safety have been discussed. Following the discussion, the Fellow has been invited to join further related initiatives, such as the Media Freedom Cohort of the Summit for Democracy, to contribute to solutions to issues of journalists' online safety with her expertise on the topic.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en-us/posts/our-purpose/thomson-reuters-foundations-trust-conference-...
 
Description Working group on journalists' well-being 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The Fellow organised and led the working group, consisting of key national and international stakeholders - including representatives of UNESCO, European Federation of Journalists, British National Union of Journalists, BBC, Reach, Rory Peck Trust, Centre for Media Monitoring, Society of Freelance Journalists, Headlines Network, as well as researchers from Middlesex University, University of Amsterdam, Sheffield Hallam University and University of Lincoln - which met in April 2022 to discuss the best ways forward in safeguarding journalists' well-being.

Through discussion, the working group agreed a set of Recommendations to supporting journalists' well-being. These have been shared widely by stakeholders across Europe. For example, the European Federation of Journalists, which is the largest organisation of journalists in Europe, representing over 300,000 journalists across 45 countries, published them on their website. Some of them have since been implemented in Reach, one of UK's biggest newspaper publishers. They have also been raised on the global agenda by the UNESCO's Chief of the Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists, Guilherme Canela, who spoke of the intention to include them in the consultation for the UN Action Plan on the Safety of Journalists.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://europeanjournalists.org/blog/2022/07/08/how-to-support-journalists-well-being-five-recommend...