Journalists, harassment, and emotional labor: The case of women in on-air roles at US local television stations

Abstract

At a time of growing threats to the press worldwide, including in supposedly ‘safe’ developed democracies, this article explores the nature of harassment perpetrated by strangers, one-time sources, and viewers against women broadcast journalists working at US local television stations. The study investigates the emotional labor – the work of managing one’s emotions to keep others happy – that is required for journalists negotiating such harassment. Through qualitative interviews, our research shows that women in such roles face four main types of harassment: (1) disruptive in-person harassment, (2) physical and abrasive in-person harassment, (3) online harassment as unwanted sexual advances, and (4) online harassment as threats and criticisms. We find that women perform a significant degree of emotional labor as they regularly deal with harassment and simultaneously attempt to mitigate or prevent further harassment.