Press Freedom 2024: Even in media, prioritize your mental health

Iris Hazel Mascardo, reporter of The Freeman, shares her story and experience during the mental health forum on Sept. 17. | CDN Digital photo/Niña Mae Oliverio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Journalists are at the forefront in carrying and bringing out news to the public. 

In the events of crimes, protests, and even unfavorable weather conditions, the journalists are there to keep the public updated on the latest developments. 

But as human beings as they are, journalists can still get affected with the events and coverages that shake up one’s feelings and emotions. 

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In this year’s celebration of Press Freedom in Cebu, the Cebu media conducted a mental health forum organized by The Freeman to discuss how prioritizing mental health would be important in the media. 

The forum took place on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the University of the Visayas (UV) main campus.

It was attended by Journalism and Communication students from UV and Cebu Normal University. 

The event was graced by speakers, Dr. Robert Cañete, Dr. Sherryl Abellanosa, and The Freeman reporter Iris Hazel Mascardo, who shared her story and experience covering trauma stories while she was still in the police beat before she was assigned to her current City Hall beat.

“Mental health is not about sakit sa pangutok (mental illness)… But the World Health Organization has given us the definition that mental health (which) is really our state of well-being,” Abellanosa said. 

Journalists would sometimes get irritable because of running after the deadlines within the day, Abellanosa said. 

“In their (media) kind of work, every day naay (there is a) deadline. Very stressful pud siya (It is also very stressful),” Abellanosa told the students. 

When the problem of mental health would not be resolved, it would make the person lose his or her motivation in doing the things he or she usually do, the doctor added. 

With this, Abellanosa encouraged the students, who would and might be part of the media industry someday to find a strong support system and when in crisis, and to seek professional help.

Meanwhile, Cañete talked about suicide, the act done by a person who takes his or her life due to some circumstances, sometimes due to mental disorder.

Cañete said this was alarming since among the causes of death in the young people include suicide, especially aged 15 to 24 years old. 

Mascardo joined the industry five years ago when she was assigned to cover crimes and trauma stories, and said it was never easy to hide her emotions when covering sensitive stories on field.

But as she joined the seasoned journalists on the field, Mascardo said she did not realize she was already going through something.

There were also stories that became too heavy for her to bear that sometimes she would ask her editor if it was okay not to pursue it. 

She said it was difficult for her to separate her personal feelings from the stories she wrote which meant that it would really be important to have a newsroom with a considerate environment. 

When she did not know she was already going through something, she was able to tell her editor about it and even advised her options that would lessen the burden of her workload. 

Mascardo wanted to convey that as human beings, even journalists—they could never not feel anything. 

“I also like to take emphasis on how important the newsroom understands how important [taking care of mental health] that is,” Mascardo said.

Second-year Communication students Sofia Jen Alcover, Denise Regil Abrera, Holly Adrian Adam Mansueto, and Stephanie Ablanque found the forum helpful for them as they prepared in joining the industry soon.

“I learned na (that) if you’re really passionate about something, no matter how draggy your life crisis is in your path, you will find yourself again in your path. If it’s really meant for you, it’s meant for you,” Alcover said.

Meanwhile, Abrera said the forum made her realize how much she was neglecting her mental health.

Juggling her work and studies at present, Abrera said she learned she could look again at herself and see how she could rise again.

Moreover, the forum was “informative and digestive” according to Mansueto.

Mansueto said he was delighted how the forum went smoothly with no complications and the he even learned so much insights about it.

Ablanque, for her part, said she was thankful the media was able to organize the forum because it was “truly helpful” for her as a working student.

“This was given (to) us for free so we really would like (to thank) the one who sponsored this event since this forum is also timely since September is suicide prevention month,” Ablanque said in mixed Cebuano and English.