Journalism during Global Crisis: Analyzing Hazardous Experiences of Bangladeshi Journalists during COVID-19
Sanjoy Basak Partha , Nusrat Jahan and Hasib Shah Aman
Assistant professor, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Bangladesh University of Professionals.
Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Bangladesh University of Professionals.
Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Bangladesh University of Professionals.
Abstract
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, traditional journalism has undergone a profound transformation. Journalists had to battle not only the spread of false information but also a slew of new obstacles they had never encountered before. This study demonstrates what sort of challenges Bangladeshi mainstream journalists had to endure and how they continued journalism amid the global crisis. The study adopted a mixed-method approach. A survey was conducted among 60 working journalists, with 20 each from print, electronic, and online media. Also, in-depth interviews with three journalist leaders were conducted to investigate this matter deeply. The findings suggested that four types of challenges were the most dominant: health, professional, financial, and technological. Most of the respondents echoed that economic challenges hit them the hardest. Alongside this, the unpreparedness of both the journalists and news organizations to face such a sudden global crisis led to severe physical and mental health distress.
Full Text