Gransnet forums

News & politics

The Guardian offers counselling to staff after ‘upsetting’ Trump election result!

(548 Posts)
FriedGreenTomatoes2 Thu 07-Nov-24 16:16:43

The Guardian is offering counselling to staff as it vowed to support its workforce after Donald Trump’s “upsetting” US election victory this week.

In an email to staff, The Guardian’s editor Katharine Viner said the election had “exposed alarming fault lines on many fronts” and urged journalists based in the UK to contact colleagues in the US “to offer your support”.

I’m glad I don’t give The Guardian any of my money if they waste it to coddle employees in this way!

fancythat Fri 08-Nov-24 09:00:36

Purely for an outcome of an Election,that is. your preferred Political Party lost[and you are a journalist], then no.

I have put commas and full stops in wrong places, so I will rewrite.

Purely for an outcome of an Election, that is that your preferred Political Party lost[and you are a journalist], then no.

fancythat Fri 08-Nov-24 09:01:41

Or that particular words in the US dont have quite the same meaning in the Uk.

But I take your point.

keepingquiet Fri 08-Nov-24 09:02:43

If President Trumpmusk does what he says he will we will all need counselling!

fancythat Fri 08-Nov-24 09:02:53

That was to Casdon;s last quote.

Gosh, sorry.
I am going to a funeral this morning. Seems to be affecting me more than I realised.

Will come off GN for a while.

WellsRose Fri 08-Nov-24 09:03:29

But the Telegraph offers counselling to it's employees. Just because the pressure haven't picked up on it (it is so trivial) doesn't mean that some of their employees didn't need it after Labour won.

Wyllow3 Fri 08-Nov-24 09:07:40

If the new USA administration does go after the people it has threatened, then yes, it is the abuse of power on a wider scale.

Changes to the USA judicial system so it's totally under political appointments, one of the changes that have been flagged up, is also imo an abuse of power. (as one example).

WellsRose Fri 08-Nov-24 09:15:50

Wyllow3

If the new USA administration does go after the people it has threatened, then yes, it is the abuse of power on a wider scale.

Changes to the USA judicial system so it's totally under political appointments, one of the changes that have been flagged up, is also imo an abuse of power. (as one example).

I think that's what's scary, it sounds more like Russia than the USa.

Wyllow3 Fri 08-Nov-24 09:16:43

I don't think for a minute that emotional health support is being offered just because an election was lost, btw, although somehow its become the reason its flagged up as such on this thread in order to denigrate it.
If anyone does take up what amounts to the Guardian reminding its employees a service is available I certainly don't feel capable of judging anyone who does.

madalene Fri 08-Nov-24 10:17:30

I don’t like Trump. I’m not pleased he won. However I don’t expect anyone this side of the Atlantic to need councelling because he won.

No one batted an eyelid when Putin ‘won’ the last ‘election’ in Russia. Why do some regimes drive some people (who aren’t even affected by the result) to require councelling, whilst other, far worse regimes, all over the world, don’t?

I’m puzzled.

WellsRose Fri 08-Nov-24 10:33:10

How do you know people didn't need counselling when Putin got in?

madalene Fri 08-Nov-24 10:34:21

It wasn’t reported!

Casdon Fri 08-Nov-24 10:40:23

You’ve put your finger on it there madelene. Selective reporting is the cause of much discontent, because people don’t know what happens in organisations they have no connection with.

WellsRose Fri 08-Nov-24 10:44:27

madalene

It wasn’t reported!

So things can only happen if they're reported?

Wyllow3 Fri 08-Nov-24 10:44:56

Sigh - to repeat - people aren't being offered support just because he won, its if they were involved in some relevant way . This meme has plagued this thread.

Plenty of evidence above of threats made, including violence.

WellsRose Fri 08-Nov-24 10:54:56

This article and all the others like it don't mention that most organisations offer counselling including newspaper organisations so it's not balanced reporting. It's just trying to get people riled up and it's worked judging by this thread.

madalene Fri 08-Nov-24 10:58:56

We may both be right Casdon, but what makes people so invested in an election on the other side of the world, whilst seeming to be not very invested in other elections the world over. Some absolutely vile people retain or gain power, think of places all over the world, and it’s reported on the BBC and in the press and that’s it. Do people just accept it because there’s nothing they can do? But there’s nothing we can do here in the UK about the election of Trump either, so why the need (if there really is a need) for anyone to require councelling? I could understand it if Guardian journalists were being sent out to cover the Ukrainian war, or the situation in Gaza, or Lebanon. War correspondents have my greatest respect for what they do. I recently saw the film Lee, very much recommended if you haven’t seen it. She was the journalist who fought to be allowed to follow the front line in WW2. The first female journalist ever to do that. Amazing woman. But journalists needing councelling because a country the other side of the world has elected a premier who most of us don’t like (for very good reasons) doesn’t make sense to me.

Incidentally, I don’t believe for one second that anyone, let alone any British journalist operating here in the UK, needed councelling because Putin was re elected. If the journalist was living or operating in Ukraine, that’s a different matter.

Wyllow3 Fri 08-Nov-24 11:02:38

We've debunked that myth already as soon as we found out that the Telegraph, who mocked the Guardian, and many large organisations, offer similar facilities.

WellsRose Fri 08-Nov-24 11:04:27

The counselling was offered. As it is other organisations. We don't know if individuals have taken up the offer and maybe they have people working for The Guardian based in States.

Grantanow Fri 08-Nov-24 11:29:52

The Grauniad printed 25 pages about Trump and his win yesterday and another batch today. I'm not surprised the staff need counselling.

Maremia Fri 08-Nov-24 11:33:59

So, by not giving us the full story, that other papers also give counselling, this was what you might term a 'goady' post. To be fair, perhaps the Poster is new to Gransnet, and doesn't realise that we appreciate a balanced view of things.

Glenfinnan Fri 08-Nov-24 11:35:14

What nonsense!!!

Outcast52 Fri 08-Nov-24 11:38:57

If ever proof were needed of how problematic the re-election of DT would be, just look at Gransnet threads on the topic over the past couple of days - snarky, sneering comments from Trump supporters who cannot stay quiet and allow people to just express their dismay and fears. None of us know how things will turn out once he's installed in power but enough warnings have been generated from a wide variety of sources during the election campaign to make even the most neutral observer wonder about the outcome, and many people are quaking in their boots about what he might or might not do. His views about climate change are terrifying for billions of people for a start.

I'm with the posters who've said "I'm done with Gransnet" and it's a shame because there's a lot of helpful advice and problem-sharing on here, but there are too many people whose opinions I really don't want to see. I have lots of family in the USA so concerns about their future as well as the planet's are close to home. Yes, I know I have a choice not to open those threads but I'm human and it sickens me to see how some people express their views.

pbah Fri 08-Nov-24 11:43:04

We can start our own support group!

Annewilko Fri 08-Nov-24 11:43:25

It tells us everything about some of the people on here. Who would be so self centred as to dismiss your experience and feelings. flowers

Maremia Fri 08-Nov-24 11:44:42

'nonsense' that this could be classed as a 'goady' post, or 'nonsense' that the Poster is new to Gransnet?