Journalists fulfill an important civic function by informing society of events that can directly impact their citizens’ well-being. In performing their civic function, journalists are often faced with the need to cover traumatic stories and events. Using a qualitative approach, the study investigates how journalists in Africa navigate the emotional challenges associated with documenting sensitive stories and to what extent cultural and societal factors such as normalizing trauma influence the emotional experiences they face while documenting such stories. The study sampled fifteen (15) journalists through purposive sampling and a snowball approach. Findings from the study show that African journalists encounter significant emotional and psychological effects due to the nature of the stories they cover. These effects are compounded by the lack of institutional support, leading journalists to rely on personal coping mechanisms. Based on the research findings, we recommend that media organizations implement institutional support such as providing journalists psychological counseling and stress management workshops. Also, journalism institutions should integrate trauma training into journalism curricula.
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