The Role of Ghanaian Media Organisations in Fostering Resilience Against PTSD: The Case of Multimedia Group Limited

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The assertion that “negativity as a news value in journalism indicates direct or indirect exposure of journalists to traumatic events in the course of their duties” is incorrect and not supported by research. The author needs to support it with citations.

The introduction needs to be problem driven rather than just stating that “studies on organisational support to journalists in traumatic situations seem 72 non-existent in Ghana”.

The author needs to provide a general information about the media landscape in Ghana, the working conditions of journalists and the regulatory system.

Literature review is relevant and covers dominant sources. However, it is descriptive rather than analytical. This lack of engagement with literature undermines the author’s ability to justify the reason for this study. There is little discussion of how and why the OST is relevant to the Ghanaian media context.

Methods - The reason for choosing the case study (ie Multimedia Group Limited) was not well established. Ethical approval statement was missing. How did the authors safeguard the journalists from the risk of retraumatisation during the interviews? Needs more information on how thematic analysis was applied beyond the vague comment that they “identify, analyse and categorise patterns within the data to answer the questions”. How useful was OST in categorising patterns?

Findings – what is the evidence to support the claim that “the editorial management often shares trauma and mental health information on common newsroom platforms to educate journalists about the nature and impact of trauma in newsgathering practices and in the newsroom?” A policy document analysis could have helped to substantiate this claim. Moreover, the statement that “the company may stem from the fact that the company has not institutionalized a mental health policy” indicates evidence of ‘desirability bias’ i.e. the interviewees may have been saying what will make their organisation look good. This is the more reason why the author needs to justify the reason for using Multimedia Group Limited as a case study and to include document analysis in the methods.

The presentation of the data seems to romanticise the organisational support given instead of a critical approach. Do these supports sufficiently meet international best practice? There was limited evidence of the use of OST in the presentation of data. Hence, the lack of relevant citations in this section.

The author needs to clarify why the journalist needs “herbal treatment” for mental health.

Discussion – the author needs to take a critical stance rather than accepting the organisational claim by showing the extent to which the lack of a mental health policy and the perception of the journalists contradicted the organisational claim.

What does “sparked a feeling of iniquity in him” mean? The author needs to write with clarity, explain terminologies (ie psychological safety) and proofread for typos.

Conclusion – there was evidence of repetition. It lacks a reflection on the theoretical and practical implications of the study. What does the study reveal about the media landscape in Ghana regarding journalists’ mental wellbeing? What is the direction for future research.

Author Response

Comment 1: The assertion that “negativity as a news value in journalism indicates direct or indirect exposure of journalists to traumatic events in the course of their duties” is incorrect and not supported by research. The author needs to support it with citations.

Response 1: Generally, authors should not cite sources in the abstract, which is why I made this assertion in my abstract without attribution. The assertion was made based on insights from Obermaier et al. (2023) [https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2023.2216808] and van der Meer et al. (2019)  [https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2018.142363228]. Though the sources were originally not in the references of my manuscript, I have now added them to my references.

Comment 2: The introduction needs to be problem-driven rather than just stating that “studies on organisational support to journalists in traumatic situations seem 72 non-existent in Ghana”. The author needs to provide general information about the media landscape in Ghana, the working conditions of journalists and the regulatory system.

Response 2: Thank you for pointing this out. I agree with this comment. I have reviewed the introduction to emphasise this point. Refer to page 2, paragraph 2, lines 19 to 31.

Comment 3: Literature review is relevant and covers dominant sources. However, it is descriptive rather than analytical. This lack of engagement with literature undermines the author’s ability to justify the reason for this study. There is little discussion of how and why the OST is relevant to the Ghanaian media context.

Response 3: I agree with this comment; therefore, I have reviewed the literature review to emphasize this point. Refer to page 3, paragraph 2, lines 37 to 42 and page 4, paragraph 1, lines 6 to 14.

Comment 4: Methods - The reason for choosing the case study (ie Multimedia Group Limited) was not well established.

Response 4: Justification for selecting Multimedia Group Limited provided. Refer to page 5, paragraph 2, lines 8 to 10.

Comment 5: Ethical approval statement was missing.

Response 5: Ethical approval statement was provided. Refer to page 5, paragraph 1, lines 35 to 37.

Comment 6:  How did the authors safeguard the journalists from the risk of retraumatisation during the interviews?

Response 6: How the author safeguarded the journalists from the risk of retraumatisation is indicated. Refer to page 5, paragraph 1, lines 37 to 39.

Comment 7: Needs more information on how thematic analysis was applied beyond the vague comment that they “identify, analyse and categorise patterns within the data to answer the questions”. How useful was OST in categorising patterns?

Response 7: The usefulness of OST in categorising patterns is indicated. Refer to page 5, paragraph 1, lines 42 to 45.

Comment 8: Findings – what is the evidence to support the claim that “the editorial management often shares trauma and mental health information on common newsroom platforms to educate journalists about the nature and impact of trauma in newsgathering practices and in the newsroom?” A policy document analysis could have helped to substantiate this claim.

Response: I could not carry out a policy document analysis because Multimedia Group Limited does not have a formal mental health and well-being policy – it is now in the process of putting together such a policy. However, the interview data affirmed that editorial management did share such information with them, though not consistently.

Comment 9: Moreover, the statement that “the company may stem from the fact that the company has not institutionalized a mental health policy” indicates evidence of ‘desirability bias’ i.e. the interviewees may have been saying what will make their organisation look good. This is the more reason why the author needs to justify the reason for using Multimedia Group Limited as a case study and to include document analysis in the methods.

Response 9: The statement, “The differences in perspectives about the supports received from the company may stem from the fact that the company has not institutionalised a mental health policy.” (page 10, lines 44 to 46) is not from the interviewees. Rather, it is the probable explanation from the author for the differences of views from the interviewees on the sufficiency or otherwise of the organizational support received in helping them cope with their traumatic experience.

Comment 10: The presentation of the data seems to romanticise the organisational support given instead of a critical approach. Do these supports sufficiently meet international best practice?

Response 10: The presentation of data shows an attempt to meet international best practices, even though there were some lapses. Thus, key international standards and practices, drawn from organisations like the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma, the FOJO Media Institute, World Association of News Publishers/World Editors Forum and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) suggest:

Proactive and preventive support through trauma awareness training, voluntary mental health check-ins and pre-assignment risk assessment. Presentation of data showed that Multimedia Group Limited provided mental health and trauma awareness education and mental health screening to its journalists, but these were periodic. However, there was not pre assignment assessment risk.

Post traumatic and ongoing support through mandated debriefing, specialised referral, support networks, and confidential counselling. Presentation of findings showed that the company afforded the journalists debriefing sessions after exposure to their traumatic experience, access to a clinical psychologist (for one of the journalists with a severe case), and access to specialists within Ghana and abroad.

Operational and structural adjustment through flexible work arrangements, rotation of assignments and safe spaces. Outcome from the study revealed adjustments where the editor rotated journalists who were covering demonstrations, and the company continued to pay the journalists for years, even when they took time off work as and when necessary. However, there was no finding of a safe space within the office for emotional release and reflection.

Cultural and leadership shift through empathy from the top, normalise support and duty care policy. Presentation of data confirmed empathy from the top because the journalists admitted that top management and their peers offered social support at the beginning, though it dwindled with time. However, the presentation of data did not affirm normalised support (because of the periodic nature of the mental wellbeing education and trauma awareness) and 'duty care' policy (because the company has no formal mental wellbeing policy).

Some of these international practices were in my findings

Comment 11: There was limited evidence of the use of OST in the presentation of data. Hence, the lack of relevant citations in this section.

Response  11: The finding (Results) section lacks relevant OST citations because it primarily focused on objectively presenting the facts found from the data, which is why there is limited evidence of the use of OST. The discussion section, however, integrates OST in the interpretation of the findings.

Comments 12: The author needs to clarify why the journalist needs “herbal treatment” for mental health.

Response 12: I have clarified the point raised. The herbal treatment is not for mental health, but for injuries he sustained from severe beatings while covering a demonstration. Refer to page 12, paragraph 2, lines 34 and 37.

Comment 12: Discussion – the author needs to take a critical stance rather than accepting the organisational claim by showing the extent to which the lack of a mental health policy and the perception of the journalists contradicted the organisational claim.

Response 12: Showing the extent to which the lack of a mental health policy and the perception of the journalists contradicted the organisational claim without accepting the organisational claim would be a deviation from the data and bias on the part of the researcher.  Hence, I have further strengthened the study’s arguments for the extent to which the lack of a mental health policy and the perception of the journalists contradicted the organisational claim while accepting the organisational claim. Refer to page 11, paragraph 2, lines 29 to 32 and page 12, paragraph 1, lines 12 to 14.

Comment 13: What does “sparked a feeling of iniquity in him” mean? The author needs to write with clarity, explain terminologies (ie psychological safety) and proofread for typos.

Response 13: Iniquity was synonymously used with ‘injustice hence it has been replaced with ‘injustice’. However, psychological safety is not explained because it is treated as a commonly understood term in the journalism and trauma literature. Refer to page 12, paragraph 2, lines 32 and 35. Also, the manuscript is intended for a Special Issue on trauma and mental well-being in journalism and in a journal dedicated to journalism studies.

Comment 14: Conclusion – there was evidence of repetition. It lacks a reflection on the theoretical and practical implications of the study. What does the study reveal about the media landscape in Ghana regarding journalists’ mental wellbeing? What is the direction for future research.

Response 14: Thank you for pointing this out. I agree with this comment. I have reviewed the conclusion to emphasize this point. My conclusion adopted a critical stance that outlined how the study’s findings sufficiently met international standards and best practices or otherwise. Refer to page 12, paragraph 3, lines 46 to 50 and page 13, paragraph 1, lines 1 to 39

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

It is an important topic that emphasized need to protect the mental health of journalists, who are exposed to traumatic events all over the world. The case study and focus group are appropriate methods to gain a deeper understanding of the problem and needs from the perspective of journalists and officials responsible for their protection. The authors should provide more details about the method, basic sociodemographic data about participants and trauma that they were exposed to, the design of interviews for case studies and focus group, and the procedure.

Author Response

Comments 1: The authors should provide more details about the method, basic sociodemographic data about participants and trauma that they were exposed to, the design of interviews for case studies and focus group, and the procedure.

Response 1: Thank you for pointing this out. I agree with this comment. Therefore, I have provided more details about the method, brief socio-demographic data of study participants and the trauma the two journalists were exposed to and the design and procedure for the interviews and focus group. Refer to page 5, paragraph 1, lines 12 to 13; lines 18 to 22; lines 25 to 27, 

lines 32 to 33; lines 37 to 39. A table with basic sociodemographic data about participants and the trauma they were exposed to has been inserted. Refer to pages 5 - 6.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

There is evidence of an improvement in the presentation and writing style. However, there are some repetitions and typos. The author needs to polish their writing to enhance a logical expression of ideas. For eg. What does this sentence in the Abstract mean? “Negativity as a news value in journalism indicates direct or indirect exposure of journalists to traumatic events in the course of their duties”.

There is a lack of accurate citation (eg Olatunji & Price, 2023).

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Pay attention to clarity in the construction of sentences.

Author Response

Comment 1: The English could be improved to more clearly express the research.

Response 1: The manuscript has been subjected to proofreading.

All the spelling and punctuation errors have been corrected and highlighted.

Inconsistencies in American and British spellings have been corrected to British spelling to ensure consistency and have been highlighted.

Concord errors have been corrected.

All references are relevant to the content of the manuscript.

Four citations missing in the References section have been added and highlighted.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf