Effects of Emotional Labor Engagement on Job Burnout: A Study of Chinese Frontline Reporters

Over the past decades, research on emotion in journalism has been under-researched since it was seen in opposition to objectivity and legacy journalism. While some studies have identified the dynamic role of emotion in mediating relationships among news content, audience, and reporter, the existing literature paid less attention to journalists’ emotional experience at work and its impact. Drawing on Grandey’s model of emotional management at work, this study is conceived to examine the emotions of Chinese frontline reporters experienced in daily work and its effects on their job burnout. The survey with 276 Chinese reporters reveals the effect of the demand on emotions at work, and reporters’ experience of engaging in emotional labor magnify their job burnout levels. Meanwhile, the use of problem-focused coping strategies can help reporters reduce job burnout caused by emotional labor engagement. Findings in this study fill the gap in understanding the mechanism of reporters’ emotional labor engagement, its impacts on job burnout, and possible coping strategies. The theoretical implications are addressed, and the practical implications for journalists are discussed.