THE EFFECTS OF TRAUMA REPORTING ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF JOURNALISTS IN OSUN STATE

Journalists in Nigeria frequently encounter traumatic events and experiences while fulfilling their professional duties, particularly when reporting on sensitive and violent incidents. As a result, this paper set to investigate “The effects of trauma Reporting on the Mental Health of Journalists in Osun State”. Through a comprehensive literature review and analysis, it explores the types and frequency of traumatic experiences faced by these professionals, the perceived impact on their mental health, the coping strategies employed, and the effectiveness of existing support systems in the context of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). The study adopts mixed research methods; quantitative and qualitative with focus on survey (questionnaire) and in-depth interview respectively to extract necessary information. The researchers espouse the stratified random sampling technique to select 150 journalists across the State. The study found that substantial proportion of journalists in Osun State frequently experience traumatic issues in their reporting, and this experience is instrumental to the mental challenges such as stress, anxiety and depression. The study also found that, even in the face of traumatic condition, journalists in Osun State still strictly adhere to the ethics of the profession. It is therefore recommended that, media organizations, policymakers, and stakeholders to prioritize the mental health and well being of journalists reporting on sensitive or traumatic events.