"Being on the receiving end of cruel and harassing comments online is part of the job for journalists today, "Andrea Martin writes for The Poynter Institute. "Comments targeted at journalists can include claims of biased reporting, calls for the reporter’s firing, attacks on intelligence and physical appearance, and the now-infamous 'fake news' creed. Though these attacks can be wide-ranging in content, they have the same effect on the journalists who are just trying to do their jobs."
For local newspaper journalists especially, such attacks can be "vitriolic, intense and personal," especially when the story is about politics, crime or sports, writes Martin.
For her journalism master's thesis at the University of North Carolina, Martin, a former journalist, surveyed and interviewed journalists from local papers all over the country to learn more about their experiences in engaging with audiences online. All of them worked for newspapers with circulations under 100,000, and many are in non-metropolitan or rural areas, like The Journal in Seneca, S.C., or the Rio Grande Sun in Española, N.M. (See pages 59-60 of her dissertation for a complete list).
The survey respondents said rude and threatening behavior online has increased in recent years, and 71 percent said there is "definitely" a connection between President Trump's statements about news media and readers' comments about their local papers, Martin writes. But more than half of respondents said online audience engagement is a high priority in their newsrooms, and more than one in three said they have felt pressured to engage with audiences online, Martin writes.
That pressure, and likely that reader hostility, will increase in the coming months as the 2020 election season plays out, Martin writes. She suggests three things newsrooms can do to prepare:
1. Have an ongoing dialogue about best practices for engaging with audiences online. "Create an environment where journalists share situations and best practices on a regular basis, in both large group and one-on-one settings," Martin writes. It need not be a formal process, but it's important to have the conversations and make it clear that they're welcome.
2. Formalize mentorship. "Though young journalists may be the most experienced in using social media, they likely need support from more seasoned journalists when it comes to how to best respond to uncivil comments or harassment — online, in person or over the phone," Martin writes.
3. Make mental health a priority, and mean it. "There likely isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to preventing burnout in journalists, but making mental health care a priority in newsrooms is crucial," Martin writes. "Newsroom leadership should set an example, adjust expectations for online engagement and provide tangible resources for help — even giving reporters permission to take a step back from online engagement. This would not hurt the bottom line, as social media engagement does not bring immediate economic benefit to a newspaper aside from sometimes serving as a direct referral to the newspaper’s website." And prioritizing mental health could keep younger journalists from leaving the profession entirely at a time when they're sorely needed.
For local newspaper journalists especially, such attacks can be "vitriolic, intense and personal," especially when the story is about politics, crime or sports, writes Martin.
For her journalism master's thesis at the University of North Carolina, Martin, a former journalist, surveyed and interviewed journalists from local papers all over the country to learn more about their experiences in engaging with audiences online. All of them worked for newspapers with circulations under 100,000, and many are in non-metropolitan or rural areas, like The Journal in Seneca, S.C., or the Rio Grande Sun in Española, N.M. (See pages 59-60 of her dissertation for a complete list).
The survey respondents said rude and threatening behavior online has increased in recent years, and 71 percent said there is "definitely" a connection between President Trump's statements about news media and readers' comments about their local papers, Martin writes. But more than half of respondents said online audience engagement is a high priority in their newsrooms, and more than one in three said they have felt pressured to engage with audiences online, Martin writes.
That pressure, and likely that reader hostility, will increase in the coming months as the 2020 election season plays out, Martin writes. She suggests three things newsrooms can do to prepare:
1. Have an ongoing dialogue about best practices for engaging with audiences online. "Create an environment where journalists share situations and best practices on a regular basis, in both large group and one-on-one settings," Martin writes. It need not be a formal process, but it's important to have the conversations and make it clear that they're welcome.
2. Formalize mentorship. "Though young journalists may be the most experienced in using social media, they likely need support from more seasoned journalists when it comes to how to best respond to uncivil comments or harassment — online, in person or over the phone," Martin writes.
3. Make mental health a priority, and mean it. "There likely isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to preventing burnout in journalists, but making mental health care a priority in newsrooms is crucial," Martin writes. "Newsroom leadership should set an example, adjust expectations for online engagement and provide tangible resources for help — even giving reporters permission to take a step back from online engagement. This would not hurt the bottom line, as social media engagement does not bring immediate economic benefit to a newspaper aside from sometimes serving as a direct referral to the newspaper’s website." And prioritizing mental health could keep younger journalists from leaving the profession entirely at a time when they're sorely needed.
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