Covering traumatic news stories: Factors associated with post‐traumatic stress disorder among journalists
Abstract
The current study examined personal and environmental factors that placed 167 U.S. journalists from diverse media organizations at risk for post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after covering work‐related traumatic stories. These factors included exposure to traumatic stressors in their personal lives, work‐related traumatic stressors, and general organizational stressors. Further, personality attributes and coping styles associated with risk and resiliency were examined. Regression analyses identified avoidant emotional coping, higher levels of perceived organizational stressors, intensity of exposure to work‐related traumatic stressors, and personal trauma history as statistically significant risk factors for PTSD. The results provide empirical support for the negative impact of organizational stressors and avoidant emotional coping on journalists covering trauma‐related stories. Understanding the organizational climate journalists are working in, as well as the manner in which journalists manage work‐related stressors, is important in the development of a more comprehensive model of who may develop work‐related PTSD symptoms. Opportunities for news organizations to reduce PTSD risk among journalists are discussed.
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Many journalists are exposed to traumatic events given the nature of their work.
“Many journalists are exposed to traumatic events given the nature of their work (Smith et al. 2018), but journalists of color may be even more impacted when reporting on traumatic topics related to their racial identity.”
From Reporting on Black Lives Matter in 2020: How Digital Black Press Outlets Covered the Racial Uprisings (2025) · cites this paper as Smith et al. 2018
Black press journalists are not exempt from this trauma and may even be more prone to it given their profession.
“Black press journalists are not exempt from this trauma and may even be more prone to it given their profession (Smith et al. 2018).”
From Reporting on Black Lives Matter in 2020: How Digital Black Press Outlets Covered the Racial Uprisings (2025) · cites this paper as Smith et al. 2018
Receiving support from their managers may have helped to reduce the risk of long-term mental health challenges from reporting on traumatic events.
“Receiving support from their managers may have helped to reduce the risk of long-term mental health challenges from reporting on traumatic events (Beam and Spratt 2009;Smith et al. 2018).”
From Reporting on Black Lives Matter in 2020: How Digital Black Press Outlets Covered the Racial Uprisings (2025) · cites this paper as Smith et al. 2018
Cites
You want to measure coping but your protocol’ too long: Consider the brief cope
Carver, C. S. (1997) · International Journal of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1207/s15327558ijbm0401_6 · Cited by 7,361 · see citing works
Folkman, S., & Moskowitz, J. T. (2004) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.141456 · Cited by 3,485 · see citing works
McCreary, D. R., & Thompson, M. M. (2006) · International Journal of Stress Management · doi:10.1037/1072-5245.13.4.494 · Cited by 310 · see citing works
MANAGING VULNERABILITY: Job satisfaction, morale and journalists' reactions to violence and trauma
Beam, R. A., & Spratt, M. (2009) · Journalism Practice · doi:10.1080/17512780902798653 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
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Williams Fayne, M., & Richardson, A. V. (2025) · The International Journal of Press/Politics · doi:10.1177/19401612231187562 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
- Authors
- Smith, R. J., Drevo, S., & Newman, E.
- Affiliations
- University of Tulsa (US)
- Corresponding author
- Smith, River J.
- Venue
- Stress and Health
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2017-08-22
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 218-226
- ISSN
- 1532-2998 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-3005
- OpenAlex
- W2745345592
- Cited by
- 67
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 4
- FWCI
- 3.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Stress and Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
- Social Sciences › Communication › Journalism and Media Studies
- Keywords
- post-traumatic stress disorder, journalists, occupational stress, organizational stressors, resilience, personality, risk factors, news media
- MeSH terms
- Psychological Trauma, Occupational Stress, Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Female, Humans, Male, Personality, Risk Factors, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Organizational Culture, Journalism, Resilience, Psychological
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