Splitting & Defence Mechanisms in Media Professionals
Last Updated 07 May 2025
The world of media is fast-paced, high-pressure, and constantly evolving. Media professionals-whether journalists, editors, producers, or content creators-are required to make rapid decisions, manage public scrutiny, and navigate complex organisational dynamics. Under such conditions, psychological defence mechanisms, especially splitting, often come into play. These unconscious strategies help individuals cope with stress and internal conflict, but when left unchecked, they can lead to personal distress, organisational blind spots, and strained relationships. This article explores how splitting and related defences manifest in media professionals, the impact on both individuals and organisations, and how psychodynamic therapy can foster greater self-awareness and resilience.
Understanding Splitting: The Defence Mechanism of Extremes
Splitting is a primitive but powerful defence mechanism. It involves categorising people, situations, or experiences as entirely “good” or “bad,” with little room for nuance or complexity. While this black-and-white thinking can provide temporary psychological relief in stressful situations, it often leads to instability, emotional swings, and difficulty maintaining balanced relationships168910.
Splitting is rooted in early childhood development, when children lack the cognitive capacity to integrate contradictory feelings and experiences. In adulthood, splitting may resurface under stress, especially in high-pressure environments like the media industry. Media professionals, who must constantly evaluate stories, colleagues, and public reactions, may unconsciously resort to splitting to simplify complex realities and protect themselves from anxiety or self-doubt1268.
The Mechanics of Splitting
Splitting is not just a personal quirk-it is a psychological process that serves to defend against overwhelming emotions or internal conflict. When a media professional faces criticism or a challenging ethical dilemma, splitting allows them to quickly categorise the source as “all bad” or “all good,” avoiding the discomfort of ambivalence. This can manifest as idealising a mentor one moment and devaluing them the next, or viewing a project as either a total success or complete failure1689.
While splitting can temporarily reduce anxiety, it ultimately undermines emotional stability and impedes personal growth. Over time, this defence can become habitual, limiting the individual’s ability to tolerate complexity and ambiguity-qualities that are essential for effective leadership and creativity in media roles68.
Defence Mechanisms in Media: Beyond Splitting
While splitting is a prominent defence in high-stress environments, media professionals often employ a range of unconscious strategies to manage internal tension and external pressures. These include projection, idealisation, devaluation, rationalisation, and compartmentalisation729.
Each defence mechanism serves a protective function, but excessive reliance can distort reality, damage relationships, and create organisational blind spots. Recognising and understanding these defences is the first step towards healthier coping and improved workplace dynamics.
Common Defence Mechanisms in Media Settings
Projection: Attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to others. For example, a journalist who feels insecure about their work may accuse colleagues of incompetence7.
Idealisation and Devaluation: Alternately seeing people or projects as perfect or worthless. This can lead to unstable relationships and frequent disappointment710.
Rationalisation: Justifying questionable decisions or actions with seemingly logical explanations, rather than acknowledging underlying motives or mistakes7.
Compartmentalisation: Keeping conflicting values or behaviours separate to avoid cognitive dissonance. For instance, a media executive may promote ethical journalism while turning a blind eye to questionable practices in another department7.
Isolation of Affect: Detaching emotions from thoughts or actions, which can lead to emotional numbness or difficulty empathising with others7.
These defences, while sometimes adaptive in the short term, can become entrenched in organisational culture, leading to systemic problems and resistance to change27.
The Organisational Impact: Blind Spots and Group Dynamics
Defence mechanisms like splitting do not operate in a vacuum-they become embedded in the collective psyche of organisations, shaping group dynamics and decision-making. In media companies, where reputational risk and public scrutiny are constant, splitting can contribute to organisational blind spots, blame culture, and resistance to innovation2.
When teams collectively split, they may idealise certain leaders or departments while scapegoating others, obscuring the true sources of problems and stifling constructive dialogue. This dynamic can escalate commitment to failing strategies, as admitting mistakes or acknowledging complexity feels too threatening2.
Organisational Blind Spots and Their Consequences
Organisational blind spots are areas where reality is collectively denied or distorted, often to protect the group from anxiety or conflict. In media settings, this may manifest as:
Reluctance to question established narratives or challenge authority
Blaming external factors for internal failures
Overvaluing tradition and resisting necessary change
Failure to learn from mistakes due to defensiveness
These blind spots can undermine journalistic integrity, creativity, and adaptability-qualities essential for success in a rapidly changing media landscape2.
The Emotional Cost: Instability, Stress, and Relationship Strain
For individual media professionals, chronic reliance on splitting and other defences can lead to emotional instability, mood swings, and difficulties in relationships. The inability to integrate positive and negative aspects of oneself and others results in a fragile sense of self, low self-esteem, and heightened vulnerability to criticism689.
Splitting is particularly associated with emotional dysregulation, depression, and anxiety. Media professionals may find themselves oscillating between periods of intense enthusiasm and crushing disappointment, or between idealising and devaluing colleagues and projects. This instability can erode confidence, increase stress, and contribute to burnout689.
The Link to Attachment and Early Experiences
Research suggests that individuals with insecure attachment styles or unresolved childhood conflicts are more likely to rely on splitting and related defences in adulthood69. Early experiences of inconsistency, neglect, or trauma can impair the ability to tolerate ambivalence, making black-and-white thinking a default coping strategy under stress.
In the high-pressure world of media, where feedback is often immediate and public, these vulnerabilities can be easily triggered, reinforcing defensive patterns and emotional volatility69.
Psychodynamic Therapy: Addressing Splitting and Defence Mechanisms
Psychodynamic therapy is uniquely equipped to help media professionals understand and transform their use of splitting and other defences. By bringing unconscious patterns into awareness, therapy fosters greater emotional integration, resilience, and self-acceptance3459.
The therapeutic process involves exploring the origins of defensive behaviours, identifying recurring themes, and developing more adaptive coping strategies. Through a strong therapeutic alliance, clients can safely examine their fears, conflicts, and vulnerabilities, gradually learning to tolerate complexity and ambiguity59.
Core Techniques in Psychodynamic Therapy
Confronting Defences: Therapists gently challenge defensive behaviours, helping clients recognise their costs and limitations4.
Exploring Past Experiences: Therapy examines early relationships and formative experiences that shaped current patterns59.
Identifying Themes: Clients are encouraged to notice recurring patterns in thoughts, feelings, and relationships5.
Developing Emotional Insight: Therapy helps clients put words to difficult emotions, fostering emotional regulation and self-understanding5.
Building Self-Compassion: By understanding the roots of their defences, clients can develop a more compassionate and realistic view of themselves and others59.
These interventions support lasting change, enabling media professionals to move beyond rigid defences and embrace a more nuanced, resilient approach to their work and relationships.
Practical Strategies for Media Professionals
While therapy is invaluable, media professionals can also take proactive steps to reduce reliance on splitting and other maladaptive defences:
Cultivate Self-Awareness: Regularly reflect on your own reactions and notice when you are thinking in extremes.
Seek Feedback: Invite trusted colleagues or mentors to provide honest, constructive feedback.
Practice Emotional Regulation: Engage in mindfulness, journaling, or other practices that help you stay present with complex emotions.
Challenge Black-and-White Thinking: Deliberately look for nuance and complexity in people and situations.
Foster Open Dialogue: Encourage honest conversations and diverse perspectives within your team or organisation.
For more on building resilience and managing stress, read our and explore articles on psychodynamic therapy for high-achievers.
Conclusion: Towards Integration and Resilience
Splitting and defence mechanisms are natural responses to the intense pressures of media work, but they need not define your professional or personal life. By understanding these unconscious patterns and seeking support through psychodynamic therapy, media professionals can cultivate greater self-awareness, emotional balance, and creative flexibility. This journey towards integration not only enhances individual well-being but also strengthens teams and organisations, enabling the media industry to thrive in an ever-changing world.
If you are a media professional seeking to overcome stress, improve relationships, or develop emotional resilience, Mayfair Therapy is here to help. Book your confidential consultation today.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered medical, psychological, or professional advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition or disease. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical concerns or before making changes to your health, lifestyle, or treatment plan. Reliance on any information provided in this article is solely at your own risk.