Moral distress and injury in journalism: A thematic analysis

Moral challenges are commonplace across frontline occupations and can result in moral distress which, if unresolved, can result in moral injury. It is not clear the extent to which research findings involving other frontline occupations are applicable to the experience of journalists, who are under-represented in the literature. To date, the prevalence of moral injury and moral distress among journalists is unknown, as are any impacts and vulnerabilities specific to journalists. Journalism differs from uniformed professions in which exposure to potentially morally injurious events is relatively common, as it tends to be a more solitary and less supported profession, and the types of exposure are more variable. A series of semi-structured interviews is proposed to explore: 1) the types of events that journalists might encounter in their work that have the potential to result in moral distress; 2) journalists’ understanding of moral distress and injury; and 3) what journalists think would be valuable in addressing the issue of moral injury in their work. Data will be thematically analysed for emerging themes that answer the research questions.