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Background: Covering terror and catastrophes can be traumatic for journalists, potentially resulting in long-term impairment. This study investigated 10-year anniversary reactions among Norwegian journalists who covered the Oslo/Utöya terror incident in Norway, 2011. Objective: The study aimed to investigate whether level of traumatic exposure and support actions in 2011 were related to anniversary reactions and current psychological well-being in 2021. It also explored if magnitude of anniversary reactions was related to level of current well-being. Method: A cross-sectional survey was sent to journalists who still work within journalism, eight weeks after the 10-year anniversary (N = 200). Participants reported retrospectively on trauma exposure, ethical dilemmas and social support in 2011, as predictors, and attitude to media anniversary coverage, anniversary-related stress, and well-being, as outcome variables. Results: More ethical dilemmas in 2011 (r =.295, p <.001) were related to a larger degree of anniversary-related stress in 2021. Having received less workplace social support in 2011 was related to more stress reactions (r = −.196, p <.05), while the magnitude of overall traumatic exposure in 2011 was not related to stress. Social support also predicted a higher level of current well-being in 2021 (r =.381, p <.001). More severe anniversary-related stress symptoms were significantly associated with decreased level of current well-being (r = −.259, p <.001). Conclusion: Journalists can experience lasting consequences from demanding experiences at work, including fluctuating stress symptoms during incident anniversaries. It is crucial for both journalists and newsrooms to recognize and be aware of the potential impact of anniversaries on the well-being of those involved in the initial coverage. In a cross-sectional study carried out in 2021, journalists who had faced more ethical dilemmas while covering terror in 2011 had more anniversary-related stress symptoms in 2021. A larger magnitude of overall traumatic exposure in 2011 was not related to stress reactions ten years later. Journalists who had received more workplace social support in 2011 had lower stress levels in 2021. Journalists who had received more support in 2011 had higher levels of current well-being in 2021. Journalists with lower levels of anniversary-related stress symptoms had higher current well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Retos, Revista de Ciencias Administrativas y Económicas is the property of Universidad Politecnica Salesiana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)