Mental health webinars for journalists begin

The Media Institute of the Caribbean (MIC) with support from the Guyana Press Association and British High Commissioner to Guyana Jane Miller, kicked off a three-day virtual webinar – Journalism and Mental Health in the Time of COVID.
The webinar was organised to specifically tackle the effects the pandemic had on journalists’ mental health, not only in Guyana but throughout the Caribbean region.
On the first day, Editor at Caribbean Media Corporation in Barbados, Peter Richards gave tips on how journalists can master conducting Zoom interviews and meetings in a time where technology is evolving.
He said that with the constant advancement of technology, “gatekeeping” as journalists know it will be no more. In his presentation, he stated that the knowledge of technology and its use can equip journalists with the skills they need to navigate modern-day journalism, and that would greatly reduce the time and effort that one would have to put into doing their job.
President of the Media Institute of the Caribbean, Kiran Maharaj led the discussion on handling misinformation and disinformation as journalists and how it affects mental health.
“So, how can people help fight against the infodemic, and as I said, the infodemic is going to stay for a while. It starts with media literacy, that’s what I believe it starts with and how we source information, how we tell the information we receive. Now, as journalists we may know that but I think that our job has also become to ensure that our readers, viewers, and listeners are also aware of that,” Maharaj said.
It was discussed that journalists feel the pressure of having to be responsible for the spread of misinformation, or responsible for the clean-up of misinformation, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussions also centred around this sense of pressure or added responsibility which contributes to frustration and leads to a decrease in mental health capacity over time.
On the second day of the webinar, Clinical Psychologist Kelly McFarlane in her presentation shared tips on how to create a balanced environment to promote good mental health well-being. She summarised that the well-being of the environment can significantly affect a journalist’s health and productivity over time, even at home.
Consulting Psychologist of the University of Guyana, Dr Katija Khan advised that journalists must associate wisely: set boundaries, don’t inhabit other peoples’ negative emotions, beware of social media; exercise, a critical factor for well-being; manage emotions, deliberate then act; and most importantly, she advised that journalists practice self-care.
During day two discussions, it was raised that management of respective media houses should be a part of the webinar in the future as journalists are not responsible for providing or setting acceptable work environments that promote healthy mental health.