The Guardian has offered its journalists free counseling and mental health support to help them cope with Donald Trump’s victory in the US election, according to an internal email seen by Guido Fawkes, a British political gossip blog.
The email, written by editor-in-chief Katharine Viner, was sent to the liberal paper’s employees on Wednesday. It acknowledged the upsetting nature of the result for many colleagues, particularly those on the US team who covered the election with “brilliant reporting.” Viner encouraged staff to offer support to their American colleagues.
She also acknowledged that the result was upsetting for many others, and offered access to support services, including managers, leadership team members, and the People team. The email also outlined access to free support services, including a 24/7 online general practitioner, mental health support, and “virtual wellbeing tools” for British staff. Australian staff were offered “confidential, impartial professional counseling and support.”
“Something tells Guido all the counseling in the world won’t cure them of Trump Derangement Syndrome,” the gossip site joked.
Trump won a resounding victory against Kamala Harris on Tuesday, defeating the vice president in all seven battleground states and winning the popular vote – a feat not achieved by a Republican since George W. Bush beat John Kerry in 2004. Harris underperformed President Joe Biden’s 2020 result in all 3,144 US counties, while Trump dramatically increased his support from black, Latino, and young voters across the US, particularly males.
The Guardian is not the only institution whose employees apparently need therapy after the election. Dow Constantine, the chief executive of King County in the US state of Washington, announced on Wednesday that the county would offer “emotional support” services to employees. Harvard University Dean Rakesh Khurana also announced plans to offer classes to give students “space to process” the results.