Professional Stress in Journalism: A Study on Electronic Media Journalists of Bangladesh

Kazi Nazmul Huda¹, Abul Kalam Azad²

¹Department of Business Administration, Southern University Bangladesh, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
²Department of Communication & Journalism, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

DOI: 10.4236/ajc.2015.34009                

Abstract

To meet the objectives of professional assignments, journalists often suffer from high level professional stress. The key objective of this study is to identify the major determinants of professional stress of journalists in electronic media. The study is, to a large extent, based on quantitative data collected through personal interview of 55 journalists of different private television channels of Bangladesh. The study reveals that inadequate support from management is the most heated cause of professional stress. However, the result also concludes “harassment” at workplace as an insignificant determinant. Other major determinants of stress are “unclear objective”, “insecure job climate”, “excessive time pressure”, “friction”, “long working hours” and “life threat” found in the study. However, though the study is very new to Bangladesh perspective, it is expected that it may help to develop professional stress management policies in this sector.

Keywords

Professional Stress, Stress Management, Causes of Stress, Electronic Media Journalists

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Azad, A. K., & Hussain, S. (2015). IBS Journal, Vol. 22. Bangladesh: Institute of Bangladesh Studies.
[2]	Baker, D. B. (1985). The Study of Stress at Work. Annual Review of Public Health, 6, 367-381. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.pu.06.050185.002055
[3]	Bradley, J., & Sutherland, V. (1994). Stress Management in the Workplace Taking Employees’ Views into Account. Employee Counseling Today, 6, 4-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13665629410060443
[4]	Brady, J. (Cited from Babcock, P.) (2009). Workplace Stress? Deal with It. HR Magazine, May 2009, 67.
[5]	Canadian Underwriter (2004). Stress from Workplace Conflict. www.canadianunderwriter.ca
[6]	Caputo, J. (1991). Stress and Burnout in Library Service. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press.
[7]	DeFrank, R., & Cooper, C. (1987). Worksite Stress Management Interventions: Their Effectiveness and Conceptualization. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 2, 4-10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/eb043385
[8]	Friedman, R. A., Tidd, S. T., Currall, S. C., & Tsai, J. C. (2000). What Goes around Comes around: The Impact of Personal Conflict Style on Work Conflict and Stress. International Journal of Conflict Management, 11, 32-55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/eb022834
[9]	Gholipour, A., Sanjari, S., Bod, M., & Kozekanan, S. (2011). Organizational Bullying and Women Stress in Workplace. International Journal of Business and Management, 6, 234. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v6n6p234
[10]	Glicken, M. D. (2013). Treating Worker Dissatisfaction in a Time of Economic Change. Elsevier
[11]	Hardy, G., & Barkham, M. (1999). Psychotherapeutic Interventions for Work Stress. In J. Firth-Cozens, & R. L. Payne (Eds.), Stress in Health Professionals: Psychological and Organizational Causes and Interventions (pp. 247-259). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
[12]	Ivanevich, J., Matteson, M., Freedman, S., & Philips, J. (1990). Worksite Stress Management Interventions. American Psychologist, 45, 252-261. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.45.2.252
[13]	Kivimaki, M., Virtanen, M., & Elovainio, M. (2006). Work Stress in the Etiology of Coronary Heart Disease—A Meta-Analysis. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 32, 431-442. http://dx.doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.1049
[14]	Kobayashi (1997). Japanese Perspective of Future Work Life. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 23, 66-72.
[15]	Lee, D. (2000). An Analysis of Workplace Bullying in the UK. Personnel Review, 20, 593-610. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00483480010296410
[16]	Major, V. S., Klein, K. J., & Ehrhart, M. G. (2002). Work Time, Work Interference with Family, and Psychological Distress. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 427-436. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.3.427
[17]	Maslach, C. (2003). Job Burnout: New Directions in Research and Intervention. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12, 189-192. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.01258
[18]	Murphy, L. (1999). Organizational Interventions to Reduce Stress in Health Care Professionals. In J. Firth-Cozens, & R. L. Payne (Eds.), Stress in Health Professionals: Psychological and Organizational Causes and Interventions (pp. 149-162). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
[19]	Nawe, J. (1995). Work-Related Stress among the Library and Information Workforce. Library Review, 44, 30-37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00242539510093674
[20]	Newstrom, J., & Davis, K. (2007). Organizational Behavior: Human Behavior at Work. New Delhi: McGraw-Hill.
[21]	Noblet, A., & Lamontagne, A. D. (2006). The Role of Workplace Health Promotion in Addressing Job Stress. Health Promotion International, 21, 346-353. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dal029
[22]	Sang-young, P., & Cho, S. (2014). Effects of Journalists’ Job Stress Factors on Physical Conditions. Advanced Science and Technology Letters, 72, 11-15
[23]	Semmer, N. K. (2007). Recognition and Respect (or Lack Thereof) as Predictors of Occupational Health and Well-Being. Paper Presentation at World Health Organization, Geneva: WHO.
[24]	Sethi, V., King, R. C., & Quick, J. C. (2004). What Causes Stress in Information System Professionals? Communications of the ACM, 47, 99-102. http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/971617.971623
[25]	Shapley, L. (2013). Most Stressful Jobs: Journalism Careers Make 2013 List. The Denver Post, 16 April 2013. http://blogs.denverpost.com/editors/2013/04/16/media-jobs-make-list-of-top-stressful-careers-of-2013/857/
[26]	Sidle, S. (2008). Workplace Stress Management Interventions: What Works Best? Academy of Management Perspectives, 22, 111-112. http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/AMP.2008.34587999
[27]	Tarkovsky, S. (2007). Professional Stress—All You Need to Know to Beat It. http://EzineArticles.com/434206
[28]	Teasdale, E. L. (2006). Workplace Stress. Psychiatry, 5, 251-254. http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.mppsy.2006.04.006
[29]	Turnage, J. J., & Spielberger, C. D. (1991). Job Stress in Managers, Professionals, and Clerical Workers. Work & Stress, 5, 165-176. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02678379108257015
[30]	Tyler, K. (2006). Restructuring Policies and Workloads, Along with Providing Training and Support Services, Can Help Reduce Employee Stress. HR Magazines, 51.
[31]	Uehata, T. (1991). Long Working Hours and Occupational Stress-Related Cardiovascular Attacks among Middle-Aged Workers in Japan. Journal of Human Ergology, 20, 147-153.
[32]	Ulrich, C., O’Donnell, P., Taylor, C., Farrar, A., Danis, M., & Grady, C. (2007). Ethical Climate, Ethics Stress, and the Job Satisfaction of Nurses and Social Workers in the United States. Social Science & Medicine, 65, 1708-1719. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.05.050
[33]	University of Cambridge (2014). Causes of Work-Related Stress. http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/policy/stress/causes.html
[34]	World Health Organization (1948). Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as Adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19-22 June 1946; Signed on 22 July 1946 by the Representatives of 61 States (Official Records of the World Health Organization No. 2, pp. 100) and Entered into Force on 7 April 1948. The Definition Has Not Been Amended since 1948.
[35]	Zakaria, M., & Azad, A. K. (2009). Journalism as a Profession in Bangladesh: An Overview. The Chittagong University Journal of Arts and Humanities, XXII, 236-248.