Reference no: EM133515774

Your next stop is at The News Room located in Scarborough, Ont. The News Room is a local online podcast that posts 30 minute daily episodes, Monday to Friday, reporting on local news in the Scarborough Area. These episodes typically include a report on major news events, weather, and community social events. When you enter The News Room, you meet Farouq, the producer of the show. He informs you that he has nine employees who collectively play a role in creating, completing, and producing the episodes, including two 'on-air' personalities, five investigative journalists, and two employees who manage the production of the show. Farouq himself is responsible for managing the work of all of these employees and approving all aspects of the final product before an episode is posted at 6 AM EST.

You sit down with Farouq in his office, and you notice a mix of concern but also relief on his face. He starts off quickly: "I produce a show, and I think I am pretty damn good at it. Our listenership has been rising over the last few months, and my team is incredibly talented. We have a lot of new ideas in works, and I can see us growing our platform in many different directions. But all of this progress has been really hard on my team. I can see they are struggling, and I don't know what to do about it. I have never received any training on this sort of thing...would you be able to meet with them, see what the problem is, and tell me what the heck I should do about it?" Farouq gives you his office to meet individually with three of his struggling employees.

First to the room is one of the on-air hosts of the podcast, Mo. You've listened to the podcast before, and you know Mo to be funny and charming, but you can see he is different off air. Mo explains to you that he was experiencing symptoms of breathlessness, dizziness and chest pain. He went to the doctor three weeks ago, and was diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (CVD), a chronic illness caused by hereditary and lifestyle factors. He is scheduled to receive a pacemaker, but has had to make several lifestyle changes including quitting smoking, alcohol, and reducing the intensity of his exercise. Mo explains to you: "Dealing with this news has changed every aspect of my life. I am constantly exhausted, and I don't know how to bring up my energy when I go on air. I am starting to think I am depressed. I don't know how to be myself anymore."

You next meet with Amir. Amir is one of the investigate journalists, and he too seems very stressed. He mentions to you that there have been a few incidents he has experienced recently that have shaken him up. Specifically, as is the case in summer, there has been an increase in violent crimes. As an investigative journalist, he is responsible for reporting on these crimes. In order to get the best sound bites for their podcast, Farouq asks Amir to be on site as soon as a crime occurs. Amir tells you that this part of the job is always scary, but last week an accident happened that was especially concerning: "I was out reporting on an incident that happened outside a local restaurant, when all of the sudden, more violence erupted - I got pushed down by a mob of people escaping the restaurant and broke my arm... I haven't been able to concentrate since, and I feel constantly anxious now..."

Finally, you meet with Nadia. Nadia joined The News Room just six weeks ago after graduating from the Journalism and New Media Studies program from Centennial college. She now works on the production side of the podcast. She explains to you that she finds this new job quite stressful. She mentions that though she was trained on various production equipment in her courses, the equipment used at The News Room is far more advanced, and stretches her technological abilities and skills. She often finds herself having to watch YouTube videos to train her on how to use this equipment, which causes her to doubt herself and her capabilities, though she does admit to learning a lot on the job.

Question 1: Identify, define, and explain the stressors Mo, Amir, and Nadia are experiencing. Be specific and use examples from the case to support your answers.

Question 2: Regardless of the causes of their stress (stressors), you notice that each employee is experiencing signs of strain. Provide Farouq with one specific and actionable recommendation to address and mitigate this strain, and justify your recommendation with considerations of its feasibility