Journalism in the time of COVID-19
When I started writing this essay, the clock on my computer told me that its a few minutes before 3am. By the time I’ve finished this, it will be Monday morning across the contiguous United States — or what would be construed as a normal Monday, and I’m trying not to hit another wall. I’ve returned to my computer after 3 days where I didn’t really do anything. Yet, at the same time, I felt guilty simply because I didn’t do anything.
In the weeks that we have adjusted to life in the COVID-19 public health outbreak, self-care has been a difficult thing to accept, because of the questions that are in the back of my brain about not just the future of journalism, but also my life and my role in journalism. As a result, I’m finding myself having more questions than answers.
I know that I’m not the only one who finds themselves feeling like this. Those questions cover all facets of society, from when the IRS will process stimulus checks to how to balance all of the personal and professional obligations that need to be accomplished that day.
Journalism as a collective industry also has more questions than answers, as news of furloughs, pay cuts and layoffs continued to be dominant in industry discussions during the course of the last week.
There also remain concerns about the state of local journalism and the relationship between audience and journalist, as the President of the United States’ rhetoric and behavior towards journalists continue to be part of the headlines surrounding the outbreak.
Journalists, like the rest of the public, are trying to adjust to life in the time of COVID-19, and many of them have hit walls — including Brian Stelter, the chief media correspondent for CNN and host of its Reliable Sources broadcast. Stelter reflected on his experience during Sunday’s program.
What Stelter said resonated with me, for life these last several weeks have been a challenge too. I also bottle things up, and my mental health has seen better days. The challenge of keeping it all together, trying to figure out my own role in journalism and my best contribution, along with taking care of a parent who is telecommuting to work in spite of a compromised immune system, and worries for her health, have taken up a lot of my stress.
Yet, I keep going.
Indeed, resilience is a goal that we often give ourselves to achieve day in and day out, however it is easier said than done, particularly in trying times for the media industry as a whole, and especially if someone is early in their career like I am.
Uncertainty is a norm in journalism right now, and the concerns surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak have exacerbated fears and anxieties. However, as many fears and anxieties life in this outbreak has caused, there are two things that have emerged.
It has allowed us to be open about mental health and how we’re feeling — a subject of conversation that for the most part is absent in journalism, because of the significant amount of stigma still attached to it.
As Stelter mentioned Sunday to his viewers, emotions and mental health is something that we need to talk more about, and I hope this allows us to be more open to talking about mental health.
The second is that amid the uncertainty, there is a certainty. In the early 20th century, Debussy wrote his piece Reflets dans l’eau (Reflections in the Water) based on the speed of ocean water. I argued a while back that it can be an analogy for journalism — that no matter how far changes went, journalism would still remain a constant.
There will be uncertainty ahead. I am no fan of uncertainty, and I’d be lying to you if I said the worry and stress about life and journalism was not still prevalent. I also know that I’m not the only one with these worries.
Therefore, journalists have an extra responsibility, not just to their audience, but to their peers. Check in with a friend or colleague at a competitor or in your own newsroom. Don’t forget those who appear to be the most vulnerable. A kind, encouraging word or an ear to listen may be simple, yet in these times is worth a great deal, even if it’s just a reminder that self-care is okay.
Journalism is still needed now more than ever, and journalists can help their neighbors be at their best by helping their fellow journalists be at their best. After all, we’re not only journalists — we’re human beings, too.
Editor’s note: Resources and advice on coping with stress and anxiety during COVID-19 are available from the CDC web site. Additional support can be obtained through the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1–800–273–8255.
