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Journalists play an indispensable role in the defense and promotion of fundamental human rights such as freedom of expression, freedom of the press and access to information. However, these professionals face many threats that generate fear, impede their work, encourage self-censorship, and affect their mental health, such as kidnapping, intimidation, physical violence, surveillance, and online harassment.

The current coronavirus pandemic situation presents additional threats to the mental health of journalists as reflected in the study conducted by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The data reveals that more than 50% of journalists have experienced increased stress and anxiety and more than a quarter have lost their income. This shows that structural factors such as health situations, unemployment or low income affect the mental health of journalists while limiting access to care services.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 80% of people experiencing mental health conditions do not receive affordable, quality care. Several factors that influence this figure are misinformation, mistrust, social factors such as sexism and stigma, and economic and infrastructure barriers.

On the other hand, the absence of a substantive focus on self-care and mental health in the curricula of some journalism schools means that many future journalists are not being prepared to deal with mental disorders such as anxiety, stress and depression, or syndromes such as burnout. The WHO has defined that burnout or psychological, emotional and physical fatigue produced by work is related to lower productivity. Some symptoms related to this fatigue are: tiredness, irritability, loss of interest in work, decreased concentration, and insomnia.

In summary, journalists who experience burnout or other symptoms may have difficulties in performing their work and defending the rights of freedom of expression, freedom of the press and access to information.