The Complex Online Landscape of News Media
In this highly volatile world, our daily news streams are dominated by content that ranges from troubling to traumatic. It is likely, at some point recently, you may have experienced shock or deep sadness witnessing some of the harrowing events unfolding globally, from war to natural disasters, or assaults against marginalized communities. While on occasion there are glimmers of hope, they tend to be brief in contrast with the swathes of information about global conflicts, local and national tragedies, and constant crisis. As public consumers of this news media, we have the freedom to unplug from this information at will and assimilate its impact, however, Content Moderators (CM) are continuously exposed to this distressing content and must persevere daily.
Other dimensions include the pressures to accurately identify false or misleading information, to remain neutral when moderating content that may trigger strong personal biases, to maintain compliance with ever-evolving policy and regulations, as well as navigate the emerging complexities due to the proliferation of Generative AI. In this article, we will delve a little deeper into the known emotional strains associated with these challenges that make moderating news arguably one of the most difficult jobs in Trust and Safety – and we will explore some of the strongest evidence-based strategies to protect these vulnerable workers and reduce harm.
Impacts on Content Moderators
As content moderation is a newly recognized field of work – despite Trust and Safety teams being in place even before they were called by this name – when it comes to understanding the extent of the psychological and emotional impact of moderating content in the news, there is relatively limited research.
As such, insights are typically drawn from other occupations that encounter continuous exposure to harmful rhetoric and traumatic experiences through their roles, such as law enforcement, emergency services, healthcare professionals, journalists, and the wider group of news production staff.
Content Exposure
Content moderation is a demanding field with limited research on its psychological effects. CMs experience vicarious trauma (VT) from exposure to traumatic news, leading to stress-related symptoms like sleep issues and depression. CMs often feel a strong emotional connection to the content and may face pressure to stay resilient despite the toll it takes on their mental health.
Information Integrity and User Conduct
CMs must navigate a complex landscape of false information and harmful user conduct online. Balancing freedom of speech with user safety is challenging, especially amidst calls for stricter moderation and hate speech legislation.
Policy Compliance
CMs often face ethical dilemmas when enforcing platform policies that conflict with their personal beliefs. These dilemmas can lead to stress but also potential growth, similar to findings from research on journalists covering traumatic events.
4 Strategies to Safeguard Content Moderators
1. Risk Reduction
The emotional impact on content moderators (CMs) varies based on context and content type. Employers should assess workload strain, targets, rest breaks, and support to manage CM wellbeing effectively. Regular risk assessments should identify psychosocial hazards and implement preventive actions. For instance, technology like affective interface design can lessen the emotional impact by altering how content is presented, like using blurred or greyscale images. Awareness of specific hazards, like news moderation’s pressure for resilience, is crucial for risk management.
2. Leadership Training and Support
Content Moderators benefit from extensive support within the Trust and Safety team. Management training is crucial to understanding CMs’ unique challenges and improving operational conditions for better work-life quality. This includes equipping supervisors with skills to optimize check-ins, discuss sensitive topics, enhance communication, and build relationships.
3. Therapeutic Intervention
Therapeutic interventions can prevent or address trauma-related risks by promoting healthy coping strategies and enhancing content moderator (CM) resilience. For intense reactions or emotional dysregulation from news exposure, personalized support from trained psychologists is recommended, given the unpredictable nature of news events. Regular check-ins with mental health professionals can detect burnout and assess suitability for various types of news media work.
4. Peer Support
Content Moderators benefit from extensive support within the Trust and Safety team. Management training is crucial to understanding CMs’ unique challenges and improving operational conditions for better work-life quality. This includes equipping supervisors with skills to optimize check-ins, discuss sensitive topics, enhance communication, and build relationships
Conclusion
Our understanding of supporting health and wellbeing at work has advanced significantly in recent years, offering many ways to protect this vulnerable population. Taking a holistic approach that addresses burnout drivers and promotes vitality at work is crucial for content moderators (CMs). Employers must avoid being myopic and consider the broader picture, implementing cohesive interventions across various layers of the CM experience. While CM needs evolve, we can learn from recent progress to ensure ongoing protection of their health and wellbeing, especially in news media moderation.
Learn more about this insightful topic in our latest Whitepaper available here.
Authors, Dr Michelle Teo and Sarah Keane
