EVENT REPORT

There is no resilience without vulnerability

The day started with the insights of CNN’s Chief International Correspondent, Clarissa Ward who, in an interview with former CNN and Sky News anchor Hannah Vaughan Jones, recognised the toll the profession can have.

Ward said the profession required a strong mental discipline to deliver the job in extremely stressful situations but at the same time, also offer the space to listen to the people they encounter, who can sometimes be facing incredible distress. “It’s a constant reassessment of what your priorities are,” she said.

While many journalists push back or ignore the impact of being exposed to horrors and difficult situations, ultimately the trauma “will

catch you”. Ward stressed how important it was to be surrounded by colleagues but also close ones in such situations. “More than ever, it is important to build up our newsrooms on a human level. Of being colleagues and friends to each other.  We have to hold space for each other, listen to each other and understand the experiences of each other. We can’t think about building resilience without thinking of vulnerabilities”.

Taking back control online

To respond to the continuously rising online threats fuelled by anti-journalist sentiment, Online Safety Editor at Reach Plc Dr Rebecca Whittington and Supervising Executive Producer at Al Jazeera Jon Laurence shared their insights on how journalists can mitigate harm and take back control of their online spaces.

“Journalism is one of the worst sectors when it comes to reaching out for help from employers, despite being an industry under a lot of pressure” – Nathalie Graham, Coordinator for the BBC Peer Support Network

From setting protection mechanisms against doxxing, to establishing boundaries and extending these to close ones, both stressed the need to actively get involved in the daily protection of their personal and professional data as journalists are increasingly visible and reachable online. But beside self-protection, it is essential to extend this mindset on an organisational level. “It is important to create a culture where people can speak up If they have concerns about a story. Newsroom managers should use digital risk assessments where appropriate,” said Laurence.

The power of peer support

At the heart of the discussions of this MediaStrong symposium was the importance of peer support. Highlighted by the poignant testimony of Aya Ibrahim, Head of News and Reports Middle East and North Africa at Deutsche Welle, the need to forge relationships based on trust and understanding amongst colleagues is vital.

In that regard, Dave Seglins, journalist for CBC/Radio-Canada and Wellbeing Champion has been developing a peer support network within the Canadian public broadcaster, which is now being extended to the larger media landscape of the country.

Like many others, he recognised that reaching out for help has not been common practice in journalism.

Nathalie Graham who became coordinator for the BBC peer support network stressed that journalism “is one of the worst sectors when it comes to reaching out for help from employers, despite being an industry under a lot of pressure”. But despite a hesitant start, more and more journalists are now seeking support through these networks. Both emphasised on the need for the industry to change and to develop peer support networks with clear structures, governance and training.

A long road to go

While journalists’ wellbeing is increasingly appearing on the agenda, and programmes are being implemented in newsrooms to that effect, there is still a long way to go. One of the questions raised during the symposium concerned the status of freelancers and their difficulty to access support programmes. This is particularly the case for freelancers who are not tied to a major media organisation.

Many questions and challenges remain to be addressed, and awareness needs to be raised further. While some major newsrooms have started to take action, many still haven’t. This might be the case especially for smaller, or less well-funded media companies, that might not have the resources to provide such support.

The Media Strong Charter

At the end of this journey, the founder of MediaStrong, Leona O’Neill, introduced her latest initiative: the MediaStrong Charter.

Built on O’Neill’s recent years of work to raise awareness and improve mental health of journalists, the Charter offers newsroom leaders media organisations the opportunity to commit to normalising mental wellbeing in newsrooms and to embrace a culture of care within their workplace. “It is a visible commitment to normalise conversations around wellbeing in newsrooms, work to remove stigma and a vow to put support in place for those frequently exposed to traumatic material and events,” O’Neill said.