Take Matters Into Your Own Hands

FTVLive told you that the staff at KATU (Portland) took the day off from gathering news to attend a seminar by the Poynter Institute on how to deal with stress.

The Washington Free Beacon’s Andrew Stiles writes that the “…Poynter Institute has developed a course for traumatized professional journalists that includes a long list of "self-care" strategies to alleviate the stress…” He goes on to write, “"Take time to be sexual—with yourself, [or] with a partner," reads one item of the list of suggested coping strategies.”

Huh? So, maybe CNN’s Jeffery Toobin was just reliving the stress of the job when he decided to masturbate on a Zoom call with his co-workers.

Stiles also points out that the stress-relieving tips from Poynter also include advice like "Allowing yourself to cry" and recommends "Give yourself affirmations, praise yourself," and "Find ways to increase your sense of self-esteem."

Hmmmmm? Maybe that’s why so many waste money on trying to get an Emmy.

Stiles does poke from at the stress-busting tips, he finishes off his take by writing, “Please keep America's long-suffering journalists in your thoughts and prayers.”

FTVLive’s take:

There is no doubt that being a Journalist is a stressful job. In my time in TV news I was shot at while covering riots in both Miami and Los Angeles.

I was nearly trapped and engulfed by fire in Oakland, California.

I was assaulted, screamed at, and threatened more times than I can count. I have seen more dead bodies that I could not even give a guess as to the number, but it is safe to say it’s in the hundreds.

It’s a stressful job and people need to be told that going in. Some people can deal with the stress better than others can.

Also, many people cope with stress in so many different ways. If talking to a professional works for you, by all means, do it. If you can find other ways to deal with stress, do what you need to do. I’m not sure there is a right way or a wrong way to deal with stress of the job. If you find something that works for you, that is what you should practice.

Many jobs are stressful and TV news is no exception. The job is not for everyone and if you feel that it’s not the profession for you, look to do something else.

I still believe that Journalism is a calling and if you just get into TV news “to be on TV” then this is likely not the job for you.

Being stressed is part of this job and you need to figure out how to deal with it. But, you also need to know this going into the job.

If you’re the type of person that feels that they deal with stress fairly well and/or has figured out a good way to handle the stress, come on a board.

If the stress is just too much for you, there is no shame in walking away and finding something that is a better fit. Why do a job that is stressing you out and making you miserable, if there is something else you might enjoy doing?

Yes, Andrew Stiles might be poking fun at the Poynter Institute and their tips, and I might joke about people being stressed out of what I think are “little things” but maybe that is just how Stiles, me, or you deal with stress.

Like I said, if you find something that works, practice it and screw what Andrew Stiles, or I, or anyone else has to say.