Nigerian media practitioners have been urged to avoid overworking themselves and prioritise self-care and manage mental healthcare.

Mrs Kofoworola Belo-Osagie, a Development Journalist, gave the advice on Tuesday in Ilorin during a Media Personnel Advocacy Roundtable.

The programme was organised by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism in partnership with Albarka 89.9 FM and funded by the MacArthur Foundation.

She spoke on the theme: ‘Mind Matter: Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing for Journalists’.

Belo-Osagie highlighted four critical areas for journalists to focus on for mental well-being: stress management, diet, exercise, and sleep.

She pointed out that the nature of journalism made practitioners prone to stress, a significant risk factor for high blood pressure (HBP).

‘High blood pressure increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and some cancers,’ she said.

The journalist explained that from her personal experience, ‘media practitioners become so consumed with
their assignments that they neglect their health.’

She listed several factors that contribute to high blood pressure to include being overweight, consuming too much salt, inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables, lack of exercise, and excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption, among others.

Belo-Osagie emphasised that making healthy lifestyle changes could reduce the risk of high blood pressure and manage it if it was already high.

She outlined work-related stress factors such as deadlines, workload, occupational hazards, unethical practices, office politics, conflict, and poor time management.

‘Additional stressors include digital overload, poor diet, people-pleasing, emotional suppression, living in the past or future, fear of failure, excessive responsibilities, perfectionism, financial pressure, unhealthy relationships, unresolved childhood trauma, and family issues,’ she said.

Belo-Osagie stressed the need for media organisations to adopt management roles that focus on welfare, health insurance, t
ransportation allowances, proper conflict resolution structures, humane performance reviews, and therapy for those in need.

She also recommended creating a culture of belonging and providing morale-boosting incentives.

Also speaking, Mr Lekan Otufodunrin of Media Career Development Network, presented a paper on how to pitch stories.

He explained that pitching involves proposing and persuading an editor or funder to support a story idea, often to secure funding for major reports that require travel and accommodation.

Otufodunrin emphasised the importance of justifying the story’s relevance, potential impact, and novelty.

He advised journalists to pitch to editors, funding organisations, media NGOs, companies, and individuals.

He also encouraged media practitioners to focus on issues they cover or have the capacity to investigate.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria