India: Concerns Over Mental Health Of Journalists Grow Following 24 Year Old Journalist’s Demise
Location: India, New Delhi
Date: July 31, 2020
The Coalition For Women In Journalism mourns with loved ones of TV anchor Priya Juneja who was found dead in her New Delhi home last friday.
Priya Juneja (24) worked for various TV channels before moving to a YouTube channel. In her recent coverages she had interviewed singer Kailash Kher and talked about how a person can remain positive and think positive in these difficult times of Covid-19.
Police officers who investigated the incident informed the public that Priya had been suffering from depression for some time and was undergoing treatment at Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS).
Priya is survived by her parents, two sisters and a brother who found her body at around 7 a.m. when she did not open the door of her room. She did not leave any suicide note.
Many of her friends expressed grief over her suicide, one of her friends wrote on her Facebook page said: "She was a very jolly girl. She was eager to help everyone and I have known very few people who were full of life like her." according to National Herald India.
From threats towards freedom of the press to low wages and the intense work pressure; journalism is one of the professions which is vulnerable to negative impacts on mental health.
At CFWIJ we take mental health seriously and are here for women journalists who need resources.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call authorities for immediate help.
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.