This study explores the effects of digital and offline harassment on South Korean journalists’ job satisfaction, with a focus on both material and value-based dimensions. Drawing on the Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping, the research also investigates the moderating roles of coping strategies, organizational support, and contextual factors such as gender, age, media type, and departmental assignment. Data were drawn from the 2023 Korean Journalists Survey (N = 2,011), and analyzed using multiple regression models. Findings indicate that digital harassment exerts a significant negative impact on both material and value-based satisfaction, whereas offline harassment affects only material satisfaction. While greater use of emotion- and problem-focused coping was generally associated with lower satisfaction, both strategies showed protecting effects when applied specifically in response to digital harassment. Organizational support emerged as the most consistent positive predictor of job satisfaction across both dimensions. Furthermore, journalists in non-hard news sectors such as digital, opinion, and — video—experienced elevated instances of harassment, indicative of the distinct risk environment of digital journalism in South Korea. These findings underscore the necessity for established support networks and customized interventions for prominent media positions. This study extends stress and coping theory to journalism and underscores the structural challenges faced by media workers in digital environments.
키워드
journalist harassmentcoping strategiesjob satisfactiondigital mediaorganizational supportSouth Koreastress and coping theory
저자
You, Kyung Han [ Associate Professor, Department of Media & Communication Studies, Jeonbuk National University ]
Kang, Seok [ Professor, Department of Communication Director, Digital Initiatives, College of Liberal and Fine Arts The University of Texas at San Antonio ]
Ha, Jae Sik [ Associate Professor, School of Communication and Media University of Illinois at Springfield ]