A new study reveals that journalists covering insecurity and violent conflicts in Nigeria suffer severe emotional distress with minimal support. The research, focusing on ethno-religious crises, calls for institutional measures to address the issue. It underscores the need for better mental health resources in African newsrooms.
Insecurity across Nigeria has intensified challenges for journalists, attracting international scrutiny including from the United States President and Congress. Reporters embedded in these crises report profound social, psychological, and emotional trauma from witnessing violence, insurgencies, and disasters.
This global issue has gained fresh attention through a pioneering study titled 'Silent Echoes and Deafening Silence: A Mixed Methods Evaluation of Trauma Journalism in Nigeria’s Ethno-Religious Crises.' Published in the inaugural volume of Navigating Trauma in African Journalism by Springer Nature, the work is edited by Kealeboga Aiseng and Chikezie Uzuegbunam as part of a broader two-book series on trauma in African reporting.
Led by Emeritus Professor Charles Okigbo, alongside Blessing Okafor from Illinois State University, Dr. Habib Yakoob from the University of Abuja, and Richard Emmanuel from the University of Ibadan, the study employed surveys, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. It serves as a pilot for wider African research into how journalists cope with such exposures.
“Our study strongly observes that journalists’ good health and well-being cannot be left to individuals alone,” the authors note. “A healthy and well-motivated journalist is an asset to the nation and the continent, and you cannot get the best from a mind undergoing serious psychological crisis. This is a pilot study for a more detailed research on trauma.”
The findings urge media organizations, associations, and employers to establish psychological support systems for conflict reporters. They also encourage cross-border collaboration among African scholars to tackle trauma journalism as a barrier to ethical press and national development. This analysis stands as one of the most comprehensive examinations of trauma management among Nigerian journalists in violent ethno-religious contexts to date.