Mental Health in the Newsroom
Also, white supremacists litter Spotify and a review of a very modern musical instrument
THE LEDE
It is good to see that people have been talking openly about mental health issues. This is a significant improvement over even five years ago. The COVID-19 outbreak caused a lot of mental health difficulties and, I believe, has become a turning point in taking mental health out of the shadows.
It’s my hope, therefore, that newsrooms will follow this trend. Newsrooms are inherently stressful places and journalism is a very taxing job. Stack on top of that the difficult hours many journos work and their role as first responders at disasters, and you’ve got a recipe for anxiety, depression and more.
In the July edition of Editor & Publisher, Gretchen A. Peck interviewed Dr. Elana Newman, research director at the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma:
She explained that trauma exposure alone can present a mental-health risk for journalists, and that can be compounded if the journalists experienced trauma in their personal lives, too.
I worked overnight shifts for most of my time in TV, and it took a toll on my mental health. It’s very hard to be healthy when you’re trying to sleep during the daytime. My body never got used to the graveyard shift. Neither did my mind. I needed to get professional help and even leave news for a while.
How do we change? We’ve started moving in the right direction. Newsrooms need more mental health training. They need to offer tools beyond the human resources department. Have an Employee Assistance Group (EAP) hotline that stressed-out journalists can call for relief. The right EAP can be invaluable. And take “mental health days” seriously. That term used to be a joke, but there’s no joke about needing a sick day for your sanity.
If we’re successful at supporting reporters, newsrooms will see less turnover and better work. As this world becomes less welcoming of journalists, we need to support each other. One may take pride in “sucking it up” but, in the long term, that’s just doing more damage. Let’s support each other’s mental health.
NEWS AND NOTES
WHITE SUPREMACIST MUSIC EASY TO FIND ON SPOTIFY: The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is out with a report that shows white supremacist music is prevalent on Spotify, in violation of the platform’s own terms of service. The report notes:
We found that many white supremacist artists are not only using Spotify to share their music but are also becoming “verified” artists on the platform. Verified artists can expand their fanbases using Spotify’s tools and metrics and can be included in playlists produced by Spotify itself.
It’s easy to find this racist music. Search playlists for “Fashwave” (As in “Fascism wave”) and you’ll find plenty:
IMAGE: Screengrab from a “fashwave” playlist on Spotify, Sept. 26, 2022
The ADL warned Spotify about this problem back in February, but finds Spotify doing little to address it. There are a handful of Fashwave playlists on Apple Music, but nowhere near what you’ll find on Spotify.
SERIAL ADDS EXTRA PODCAST AS SUBJECT GOES FREE: Adnan Syed is out of prison. He was the subject of the 2014 podcast, “Serial,” which launched the true crime podcast explosion. Syed was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, in 1999. “Serial” found a lot of problems with both the state’s case and Syed’s defense. The podcast brought Syed’s case to light, eventually resulting in his release.
Last week, a judge vacated Syed’s conviction, and “Serial” host Sarah Koenig was there to produce a brief coda to the story. The podcast, officially known as “Season One, Episode 13,” is less dramatic than the preceding episodes of the series. It’s also a lot shorter - just 17 minutes compared to the usual hour. Koenig delivers in her unique “I’m a little baffled, but let’s move on” style. It’s the ending many “Serial” fans wanted, even as we are no closer to determining who killed Hae.
WHAT’S UP WITH THE FLYING CAR?: There are a number of companies working on “flying cars,” which are more like extra-large drones. But one company is dropping out of the race, and it’s significant. Kittyhawk, backed by Google founder Larry Page, is shutting down. According to the company’s website, Kittyhawk’s goal was to build electric “autonomous, affordable, ubiquitous and eco-conscious air taxis” that were remotely operated. The company says it had built and flown more than 100 aircraft.
IMAGE: Kittyhawk’s experimental aircraft (Courtesy Kittyhawk website.)
Alas, Kittyhawk is grounded. The company has not given an explanation, but it’s thought investors decided to put their money on a joint Kittyhawk-Boeing EVTOL (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft called Wisk. Boeing says it will continue the Wisk program, without Kittyhawk’s support. We’ll have to wait a while longer for our flying cars…
LINKS AND LIKES
“SERIAL” FANS TAKE NOTE: Since it’s a big “Serial” week, here are some more resources for amateur sleuths who are interested in the first season’s story:
To get even more information about the case, check out Rabia Chaudry’s podcast, “Undisclosed.” Chaudry was the person who brought Syed’s case to light in the first place, and she picked up the story where “Serial” left off.
Chaudry also produced HBO’s 2019 documentary series “The Case Against Adnan Syed” which, contrary to its title, pushed Syed’s innocence. A new episode will come out next year.
If you’re not a fan of the way “Serial” was told and produced, there’s a podcast for that, too. Slate’s ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) has an episode called “Serial Didn’t Free Adnan Syed.” It goes over what it insists are lapses in “journalistic responsibilities” it found in the original podcast.
PINK FLOYD’S ANIMALS GETS ITS “2018” RE-RELEASE: Nothing’s ever simple with Pink Floyd. Whether you’re in Camp Roger Waters or Camp The Rest of Them, there’s frustration to go around. Floyd’s classic 1976 album “Animals” was due for a remixed release four years ago, but - what a shock - internecine fighting held up its release. It’s finally out now, and sounds glorious - especially on Apple Music. The album has an updated cover, which will still look familiar to Pink Floyd fans:
That’s the Battersea Power Station in London, now renovated to include apartments and stores.
In other Pink Floyd-related news … The venue in Poland where Roger Waters had scheduled a concert for next April has canceled the show, citing controversial comments Waters made in an open letter to the first lady of Ukraine. In that Sept. 4th letter, Waters noted that he opposed Western countries sending aid to Ukraine. Waters also wrote, without proof, that the “forces of extreme nationalism” ruled Ukraine and pushed it into war with Russia.
CIA STARTS OWN PODCAST: The CIA is on something of a PR offensive right now as it marks its 75th anniversary. It has renovated the museum it has at its headquarters and it has started a show called “The Langley Files: A CIA Podcast.” Their goal is to “demystify the CIA.” Episode one features a notable guest — CIA Director Bill Burns. He talks about how his job isn’t like it’s shown in the movies. “It doesn’t always involve fast cars and heroics,” he says.
TOP FIVE PODCASTS THIS WEEK: We use Chartable, a reliable metrics company, to find out which podcasts are the most popular. The top five podcasts in the U.S. are:
Audiochuck’s “Crime Junkie”
Wondery’s “Morbid”
NBC News’s “Dateline”
The Daily Wire’s “The Ben Shapiro Show”
The Jordan Harbinger Show
BEYOND THE REMOTE
ORBA 2 REVIEW: I recently received the Orba 2 by Artiphon. It’s a sampling device/musical instrument that’s been a lot of fun to play with. It’s not easy - I’m a (so-so) musician, and I liken this more to learning a new instrument than tinkering with a toy. Check out the promo:
I’m having a lot of fun making loops and sounds that go beyond the usual “Garage Band” sounds. It’s easy to layer sounds on top of each other and to build something approaching a song. What’s really cool is that Orba has a mobile app that expands the use of the device, seamlessly changing the sounds for each of the pads. You can sample sounds and include them in your masterpiece as well. The New York Times calls the Orba “Satisfying to play,” and I have to agree.
Orba has also done an excellent job of creating videos that walk you through the use of the device. They’re informative and fun, and make learning the Orba enjoyable. GRADE: B+, Could be more intuitive.
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Newsletter #23
Copyright 2022/5783
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