It's #WorldMentalHealthDay — a day newsrooms should acknowledge and disarm for because being a journalist means working through the occupational hazards of the job ➡️ vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout, to name a few. 🧵 1/22
And now, even moral injury is deepening our traumatic stress response. News leaders need to strategically, consistently and humanely respond to the hazards of being a journalist. This is a moral imperative for the health of our industry. 2/22 #WorldMentalHealthDay
To become trauma-informed newsrooms — in leadership and in coverage — we have to first acknowledge the importance of mental health in our newsrooms, across our ranks. 3/22
📌 Trauma-informed newsrooms understand 3 things:
1. What happens to our journalists is important
2. What happens to them influences their behavior and health
3. And this information is used to act accordingly, and with compassion, on their behalf 4/22
#WorldMentalHealthDay
^^ For #WorldMentalHealthDay, remember this 👉 We will all experience and be impacted by trauma differently.👈
Your responses, both inside and outside of a traumatic news cycle, will either cultivate trust or elicit harm. 5/22
Whether you have positional or influential power, please care for yourself and acknowledge the trauma, stress or burnout you may be feeling your way through today. 6/22
📌 Self-preservation is a radical act of trauma-informed leadership — especially for women and even more so for women of color. So newsroom managers, fellow journalists, when you see us embody this act, celebrate with us bc it wasn't an easy decision. 💪🏽 #WorldMentalHealthDay
📌Re-invest in your 1:1s. Focus on your direct report, not their work. Be curious.
I love @JillGeisler's questions from her media managers course:
• Are you still enjoying your work?
• What do you love about this project?
• What are you worried about?
luc.edu/soc/workshopsprograms/masterclassformediamanagers/
📌Adjust workload or work design. Burnout is a result of unmanaged workplace stress. If your direct report tells you they're burned out, your immediate next question should be: What's one thing I can do to better support you? 9/22
americanpressinstitute.org/publications/articles/journalism-managers-are-burned-out-is-it-time-for-a-work-redesign/
📌Other empathetic leadership questions:
• What kind of flexibility do you need right now?
• Is anything unclear or blocking your work?
You can offer support that's counter-cultural to your newsroom. Why? Bc you are responsible for the micro culture you cultivate on your team.
Speaking as someone still in the process of repair after being burned out, let me suggest you answer these questions BEFORE you ask them of your direct report.
This @UWJournEthics article is bookmark-worthy for any people-first newsroom manager. 11/22
ethics.journalism.wisc.edu/2022/02/15/healthy-journalist-healthy-journalism-how-newsrooms-can-prevent-burnout/
Need more? Lots of people and orgs are helping journalists and their newsrooms be healthier. You can schedule time with me to just talk or to learn about @ampress's trauma-informed newsroom portfolio. calendly.com/sragland/30-min
I also highly recommend the work of the following:
Yep, y'all can start as fast as tomorrow with my friends over at The Self-Investigation (@selfinvestigate) who have taught me so very much about the subject. 13/22
#WorldMentalHealthDay
twitter.com/selfinvestigate/status/1578061971659886593?s=20&t=_kMJv6jPTajojPwTQJ--LA
If you didn't read this piece from @JournoResource when it dropped last year, read it now. 14/22 twitter.com/JournoResource/status/1420768829861507073?s=20&t=egR7gJ8jhoatLqprJUPkbA
#WorldMentalHealthDay
There's this write-up (and reminder) by my former @Poynter colleague @atompkins who has been doing newsroom trauma training for years and offers a suite of trainings on the topic. 15/22 poynter.org/business-work/2022/remember-journalists-to-take-care-of-yourselves/
More resources, thanks to @RTDNA for its a mental health resource guide, including daily self-care practices for journalists. 16/22 rtdna.org/content/newsroom_mental_health_resource_guide
#WorldMentalHealthDay
This piece by Washington Post journalist @kwoodsome who I'm grateful to know: "Trauma is a psychological injury that lulls you into thinking you’re safe after surviving without a scratch, only to wash away the ground you thought would hold firm." 17/22 washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/01/05/jan-6-journalist-psychological-trauma/
How to Support Journalists Experiencing Online Harassment.
@IWMF's new guide is designed help newsrooms navigate the abuse. 18/22 niemanreports.org/articles/online-harassment-newsrooms-guidelines/
You can find ample resources at @DartCenter, including this guide: dartcenter.org/resources/dart-center-style-guide
And dozens of trainings: dartcenter.org/programs/training
#WorldMentalHealthDay
I'll leave y'all with one more: "We believe journalists are our industry’s most precious human resource." #WorldMentalHealthDay
The work of journalists over at @HeadlinesNet is to be watched and shared. Their resources page, complete with videos is here: headlines-network.com/
Finally, my dear journalists, editors, newsroom managers and owners — all people I love and who are reason I do this work — on #WorldMentalHealthDay and every day that follows, please. 21/22
And be cool. There SHOULD BE crying in the newsroom. The work we do is hard and sometimes, it hurts. And crying is one way we can break the cycle of stress. Let us. 22/22 #WorldMentalHealthDay