Ensure newsrooms are safe & supportive: Mumbai Press Club in open letter to Editors

In an open letter to media house, the Mumbai Press Club has raised concerns about the “the harassment of journalists in newsrooms” and the pressure to generate exclusives or breaking stories.

The letter has been issued in the wake of the death of a senior journalist.

The Press Club has asked Editors to ensure that “our newsrooms are safe and supportive and that journalists can work without fear of harassment”.

Below are excerpts from the open letter:

“Journalists, including photographers and cameramen, are facing unrelenting pressure – sometimes bordering on harassment and abuse – to deliver factory-style news stories on tap. This relentless demand, with sparse logistical support and a shortage of staff, often leads to an atmosphere of stress and anxiety in the workplace, which can, in turn, lead to debilitating consequences.

The recent collapse and the death of a senior reporter of a daily newspaper in Mumbai is a tragic example of this newsroom pressure to be one-up on rivals.

It is the mandate of editors to ensure readers and viewers get the news as it happens. In fact, they will not be doing their duty if they cannot motivate their teams to deliver good stories in the fastest time possible. However, this does not mean that news should be generated by instilling fear and anxiety via abuses and public humiliation. In this regard, we have been seeing a stream of unethical practices in the newsroom. For instance, the editor of a news channel asked a journalist to create a ruckus during the press conference of a Congress politician. Rather than bow to this extreme demand, the journalist put in his papers.

These practices not only undermine the health and well-being of our journalists but also compromise the quality and integrity of the news we deliver.

The last few years have been trying for news media. Advertising has shifted to social media and various digital formats, and newsrooms have witnessed job cuts, layoffs, and non-renewal of contracts. To counter the financial challenges, journalists are being stretched to breaking point, which has made working conditions unbearable. Unfortunately, those who are well placed to understand the changing conditions – the bureau chiefs and the editors – have been found to be insensitive and even complicit in making working conditions worse.

Journalists play a crucial role in upholding the principles of a free press and keeping the public informed. However, when they are subjected to harassment and undue pressure in the workplace, their ability to perform their duties effectively is severely hindered, and their health also gets affected.

As leaders in the industry, it is your responsibility to ensure that our newsrooms are safe and supportive and that journalists can work without fear of harassment.

We urge all media houses and leadership teams to address this issue and to create a better and more professional workplace culture. Free and responsible news media requires an encouraging environment where journalists can bring out their best and perform their duties without fear or favour.