Emotional atyachar (trauma): Professional identity performance and emotional labour of fact-checkers in India

Abstract

This study explores the emotional labour incurred by Indian fact-checkers as part of maintaining their professional identity online. It demonstrates the connection between the theories of professional identity performance and emotional labour. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 fact-checkers from various fact-checking organisations in India. The findings highlight that though fact-checkers identify themselves as journalists they have emerging professional identity. It is much more restrictive compared to the journalists and dictated by IFCN Code of Principles. Due to the restrictive nature of the identity the fact-checkers have to incur emotional labour while performing it online. The cost of emotional labour is pronounced with respect to minority identity, fact-checking violent content and fear of persecution. It can be said that emotional labour has become part of Indian fact-checkers' professional identity and a way to protect themselves from the difficult aspects of the job, such as online hate speech. The study contributes to the existing literature on emotional labour in media work and particularly in fact-checking in the Global South.