On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the Pandemic caused by
the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which became popularly known as the new coronavirus or Covid-19.
Without efficient pharmacological means to combat it, the effective measures to be taken
immediately ranged from the adoption by countries of social isolation or the development of
sanitary actions such as hand washing and the use of alcohol gel. This caused several
professionals to have their work routines changed, including journalists. Therefore, this research
seeks to discuss how the Covid-19 Pandemic changed their professional performance, whether
or not it contributed to the emergence or intensification of the process of this worker's mental
illness. Therefore, to carry out this study the following question was used. How did the work
context during the Covid 19 Pandemic affect the mental health of Tocantins Journalists? The
general objective of this proposal was to investigate how the work context during the Covid 19
Pandemic affected the mental health of Tocantins Journalists. The specific objectives were to
evaluate how the work of Journalists from Tocantins in the initial years of the Covid 19
Pandemic (from March 2020 to December 2023) affected their mental health. To analyze the
working conditions of Tocantins Journalists during the Covid 19 Pandemic and whether these
affected their mental health. And discuss how Tocantins Journalists dealt with institutional
gender relations in their workday during the Covid 19 Pandemic. It is worth highlighting that the
nature of this study is qualitative and descriptive. Thus, as a methodological proposal, a field
research was carried out using a semi-structured and individual interview script, which included
the participation of 6 Journalists from Tocantins, 3 male and 3 female, with specific
representation and diversified in each area of activity in this profession. To analyze the content
extracted from this procedure, the Nvivo software was used, which together with the theoretical
framework constructed to support the results of this section, will contribute to a reliable and
crucial dialogue to satisfactorily answer the questions presented in this study. Thus, the results
achieved show us that “in the first objective”, changing routine and action strategies to contain
the virus, was a major challenge in the work process of these professionals. The fear of
contracting the virus, of dying or transmitting it to family members, was a feeling that caused a
lot of mental disturbance among those interviewed. “In the second objective”, the obstacles
experienced in relation to working conditions, come from before the pandemic period, as in the
statements of some interviewees, it was exposed that in certain experiences the professional
received only the salary and had to pay out of their own pocket to obtain the tools and
equipment necessary to carry out their work, among other issues. “In the third and end
objective”, it was emphasized that when the subject is gender, this discussion dates back to
before the pandemic period. Because women, regardless of their professional class, are always
in a process of searching and fighting for their space in the job market and the weight and moral
and social demands placed on them are very great. Simply because she is a woman, regardless of
the overload of roles and functions she plays in her life. In this way, the path reached towards
the end of this research leads us to the perception that the work context of Journalists, not only
in Tocantins, but in large part, is permeated by a series of obstacles that greatly weaken the
exercise of their profession. These obstacles interfere not only with mental health but also with
the quality of life of these professionals.
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