Who?

Joyce Adeluwoye-Adams MBE is Global Managing Editor, Newsroom Diversity and Mental Health at Reuters, leading a global team and driving a strategy focused on attracting, developing, and retaining diverse talent while cultivating an inclusive culture that prioritizes mental health. She runs the ReutersEditorial Trauma Program and the Reuters Peer Network, a global initiative launched in 2015 that now comprises approximately 60 volunteer journalists providing crucial support to colleagues. A champion for diversity, she previously drove impactful initiatives at King, the BBC (including leading the Diamond project), and The Producers Alliance for Cinema and TV (PACT).  In 2018, she was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for her services to diversity in the media industry, while the Financial Times named her one of its top 100 influential BAME (Black, Asia and Minority Ethnic) tech leaders.

Lisa Archibald (she/ her) is a proud Scot who moved back home in 2020 after living and learning in New Zealand for 7 years. After a rocky childhood and an even rockier teens, Lisa accessed peer support in the 1990’s. In 1999 she started to facilitate groups and offer 1:1 youth peer support. Lisa has set up and delivered peer support groups, advocacy services & relationally focused trainings internationally for more than 20 years. Lisa was a UK Winston Churchill fellow in 2013 and has continued to travel to learn from other cultures and communities since then. Lisa completed a Yale Let(s) LEAD fellowship in New Zealand in 2019 and gained a PgCert in Mad Studies in Edinburgh in 2023. Lisa is a co-owner of  Intentional Peer Support  with Founder Shery Mead and fellow Co-Director, Chris Hansen and is a passionate activist and an advocate for social change.

Dr Glenda Cooper is the current Head of the Journalism Department at City St George’s, University of London and Reader in Journalism Studies. She is the author of Reporting Humanitarian Disasters in a Social Media Age (Routledge) and co-editor of Humanitarianism, Communications and Change (Peter Lang). A former senior staff journalist for UK and international media organisations, she researches in the fields of journalism ethics, live journalism, media representations of refugees and is particularly interested in how journalists deal with interviewing those caught up in trauma. She is also the UK director of the European Journalism Observatory.   Find out more about her here.

James Bessant Davies is a Welsh photojournalist and filmmaker. He recently completed an MA in News Journalism at Cardiff University and his work has taken him to Afghanistan, Ukraine and the Middle East.

Schams Elwazer is Director of News, Video for CNN International, based in London. In this role, Elwazer is responsible for overseeing the network’s video coverage from Europe, the Middle East & Africa, as well as leading news desks in London, Atlanta and Hong Kong during key parts of the day to generate and deliver distinctive and award-winning storytelling for CNN’s TV and Digital audiences.

Matthew Green spent 14 years as a correspondent for Reuters and the Financial Times. He wrote Aftershock: Fighting War, Surviving Trauma and Finding Peace, a book documenting the struggles of military veterans and their families recovering from the trauma of war. For the past five years, he has worked as a climate journalist, and is Global Investigations editor at DeSmog, a nonprofit news service.

He is a co-host of the Collective Trauma Summit and a contributor to the Pocket Project nonprofit. His Resonant World newsletter serves a global movement exploring the impact of individual, ancestral and collective trauma – and how it can be healed.

Dr Zahera Harb is Director of Postgraduate Studies at City St George’s, University of London. She has published widely on Journalism and Politics in the Arab countries. Her book publications include a forthcoming book on Cultures of Journalism in Egypt and Lebanon: Values, Ethics and Hate Speech (Palgrave) and an edited collection titled Reporting the Middle East: The Practice of News in the 21st Century (IB Tauris 2017). She is co-editor of Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication and former associate editor of Journalism Practice.  She is currently chair of Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) board of directors, and trustee of Marie Colvin Journalists’ Network. She also sits on the board of the UK Press Recognition Panel (PRP). Zahera previously served as member to the UK broadcast regulator Ofcom content board, board member-trustee of the Ethical Journalism Network and board member-trustee of Dart Centre Europe for Journalism and Trauma. Before moving to the UK, Zahera worked, for over a decade, as a broadcast Journalist in her native country Lebanon, for local and International news organisations.

Dr Lea Hellmueller is Associate Dean of Research at the School of Communication & Creativity and Reader at the Journalism Department at City St George’s, University of London. She is also an Affiliated Researcher with the Violence & Society Centre. She grew up in Switzerland and prior to joining academia worked as a journalist in Switzerland, South Africa, and the United States.

Fluent in multiple languages, Dr Hellmueller researches the role of media and journalism in a globalising world, focusing on precarities of freelancers and global ethical decision making in newsrooms, including questions around global risk journalism, social justice, and violence & media. Dr Hellmueller is currently working on two large research projects with internal and external partners including the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma in Europe and the Rory Peck Trust; one focusing on building resilience with the aim to develop an ethical decision-making toolkit for journalists covering crisis and conflict and another one focusing on addressing the traumatic impact of climate reporting.

Aya Ibrahim is Head of News and Reports at Deutsche Welle’s Middle East and North Africa department, where she leads the editorial strategy for all Arabic-language news content across platforms.

Previously, Aya was Special Correspondent for DW News, Deutsche Welle’s flagship English-language news program. In this capacity, she reported from across the world on major political developments including Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Israel’s war in Gaza, the Turkish elections, Iran’s protest movement, and the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria. Her international assignments also included covering the 2024 U.S. presidential election, reporting on the political landscape surrounding Donald Trump’s return to office and from DW’s Brussels bureau, where she reported on European Union affairs.

Prior to that Aya was a producer for DW News Digital, where she developed original video storytelling formats. She launched Unpacked, a video explainer series designed to break down global headlines for digital audiences. In 2021, ahead of Germany’s national elections, she created Flipping the Script—an innovative debate format that reversed the traditional roles of candidates and voters. The format received a Gold Lovie Award and was produced again ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections.

In 2022, Aya was named one of Germany’s “Top 30 under 30” by Medium Magazin, which honours emerging journalistic talent in the country. In 2024, she was selected as an Ochberg Fellow by the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University—a fellowship awarded to journalists who cover violence, conflict, and trauma, supporting ethical and effective reporting.

Aya holds a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and earned her bachelor’s degree from Bard College in 2015. She is based in Berlin.

Hannah Vaughan Jones is an Emmy-nominated British journalist – a news anchor, international  moderator and communications consultant. In her twenty year media career she has presented primetime shows for CNN and Sky News. Hannah has interviewed world leaders in business, politics and philanthropy – including British Prime Ministers, Heads of State, and UN Director Generals. She sits on the Global Leadership Advisory Council for the McCain Institute in the U.S. and is Senior Counsel with agencies Incisive Health and Folgate Advisors. Hannah has her own production company, Lewnah Ltd, currently developing an animated news programme for young children.

Harry Key is Head of Global Specialist Services for CiC, and specialises in the design and delivery of bespoke psychological wellbeing programs the News Media sector.  Harry leads CiC’s Global Specialist Services clinical team and delivers face-to-face and online sessions to customers across the globe, working closely with senior leadership to ensure appropriate focus and content. In addition to this, Harry manages our industry leading Peer and Professional Support Programs.

CiC’s specialist programs are trusted by industry leading organisations in the global news, media, social media, government and international NGO sectors where he also consults on working with psychological risk/safety, wider change, crisis management and policy implementation initiatives.

Harry is a UKCP qualified and accredited existential psychotherapist and sits as President Elect of the EAEF (Employee Assistance European Forum) and Board Member of EAPA UK (The Employee Assistance Professionals Association). He is therefore in an exceptional position to provide professional and personal support on subjects that involve content on all mental health issues. He uses current research to inform all programs, in addition to his own clinical expertise, and is experienced in working to address psychological risk, trauma, exposure to traumatic content and working in hostile environments.

Jacob is the creator of SENSESPACE Podcast, a platform resonant dialogue to foster transformation and collective wisdom. He is the co-founder of The Resonant Man, where leads an international men’s initiative to evolve masculinity through dedicated spaces, weekly publications, and collaborations with women’s circles. He recently launched SENSESPACE Studio, hosting live podcast events and forming production collaborating like Life Itself and The Centre for Climate Psychology.

Jacob’s academic work, including an award-winning BA thesis (History, QMUL) and MA (Terrorism, Security & Society, KCL), examined the modern West’s crisis through the lens of Islam and the West. He served as a podcast lead and workshop facilitator for Harvard Graduate School of Education’s “Human Transformation in a Time of Metacrisis.” As the artist “Culturepilgrim”, he has published essays on insight, wisdom, and healing for over four years as well as producing 17 rap singles with collaborators in Germany, Mexico, and the U.S.

Jon Laurence is a Peabody, Emmy, and Murrow Award-winning journalist and digital news leader. He is currently Supervising Executive Producer at AJ+, overseeing English-language news content across social platforms, daily videos, and field reporting. Based in New York, Jon leads a team of 40 staff and contractors across three continents.

A specialist in social and mobile growth, he has led major digital transformations at NowThis, Channel 4 News, and The Telegraph—most notably guiding Channel 4’s transition from text to video, which saw monthly video views soar from 20 million to 250 million in just 18 months.

In 2024, Jon completed the Sulzberger Executive Leadership Program at Columbia Journalism School. He speaks widely in the industry on digital video and editorial innovation.

Fiona O’Brien is the UK Director of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), one of the world’s leading press freedom NGOs. After starting her career on a local paper, she worked as a correspondent for Reuters, based out of Nairobi, Baghdad and Beirut. She has also worked for the United Nations, and ran the MA in Journalism at Kingston University before joining RSF in 2023.

Leona O’Neill is a former news reporter from Ireland. Working with national newspapers such as the Belfast Telegraph and the Irish News, she covered life in Northern Ireland for over 25 years as one of the region’s most
established journalists.

She is currently Head of Undergraduate Journalism at Ulster University, a world-renowned institution delivering the region’s only Journalism degree and Masters programme. She also works as a weekly newspaper columnist for the Irish News and a Field Producer for the likes of Vice News, Al Jazeera, ABC, CBC, and other international media outlets.

In 2019 she witnessed the murder of her journalistic colleague Lyra McKee at a riot in Derry and in the aftermath was targeted by conspiracy theorists and other malicious groups in person and online. These traumatic experiences left her with PTSD.

Kristian is the CEO of the Public Media Alliance, the largest global association of Public Service Media organisations.

Kristian has extensive experience working in public media support and advocacy, with a background in the NGO sector, editorial management, events, and as a journalist. He has worked globally in his roles for PMA and works with the association’s membership and partners to develop advocacy campaigns, international relations, strategies, research and media development projects. He is a passionate advocate for media freedom, media independence and journalist safety, and sits on the steering committee for the Public Broadcasters International (PBI) conference and runs the secretariat for the Global Task Force for public media (GTF). Kristian has an MA in Media and International Development.

Liubov Rakovystia is the Head of the NGO DII-Ukraine, which is the publisher behind the independent media outlet News of Donbas. Liubov is also Chairperson of the annual Donbas Media Forum. As a journalist and media manager displaced from Donetsk, she has personally faced the significant challenges and constraints of keeping her organisation’s operations running during the ongoing conflict. She currently coordinates the Network of Relocated Media, supporting teams of journalists who are themselves internally displaced and continually exposed to trauma, stress, and disinformation. Liubov brings valuable insights into the emotional and operational pressures of frontline journalism and the critical role resilience plays in maintaining truthful connections with audiences in occupied territories.

Dr Russell Razzaque is a Consultant Psychiatrist, Associate Medical Director, Clinical Director for Mental Health Transformation and Director of Research & Development at the UK National Health Service in North East London. He is also a mindfulness teacher and is a Bye Fellow at the University of Cambridge.

Russell’s primary teaching and research interests are mindfulness, therapeutic relationships and holistic models of care. He has published a range of papers in peer reviewed journals, implemented pilot teams in a range of NHS Trusts and he is currently clinical lead for a large NIHR funded, multi-centre randomised controlled trial, studying the implementation of a systemic, person-centred and holistic approach to mental healthcare in the NHS, known as Open Dialogue.

Russell also writes political columns for national and international publications like The Guardian and The Independent and has published several books on human psychology, philosophy and politics and he has a popular YouTube Channel

Palestinian, Egyptian Award-winning journalist. I received the Civil Journalism Award for my coverage of the Gaza War, and I received the World Freedom Hero Award from the IPI and IMS on behalf of All Palestinian Journalists. I have also received the Maria Grazia Award for Foreign Journalism. In addition to the Token of Human Rights by the United Nations, in recognition of my advocacy for human rights and dignity.

I am Al Jazeera English Correspondent, based in the Gaza Strip. I’m a mother of four children and have been living in Gaza with my family for the past ten years.

Over the past 8 years, I have worked as a journalist for different international news outlets, like TRT Digital, TRT World, RT, Kuwait English Channel, CNA, the AP and as Al Jazeera English Correspondent since 2021.

My motivation has always been to convey the human stories of the people and be a voice for the voiceless.

James Scurry is a Senior Producer at Sky News and co-organiser of MediaStrong. He is the co-founder of Safely Held Spaces, a UK-based non-profit that supports families experiencing mental and emotional distress and collaborates directly with journalists and newsrooms to develop trauma-informed journalism practices. A trained psychotherapist and accredited Tibetan movement and relaxation instructor with the Nyingma Institute in Berkeley, James draws on Eastern contemplative traditions in his work with military personnel, veterans, police forces, and media organisations across the UK—focusing on nervous system regulation for those affected by trauma. He is currently piloting one of Britain’s first trauma-informed journalism training programmes, co-designed with journalists and newsroom leaders nationwide. James is pursuing doctoral studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, where his research explores altered states of consciousness, depth psychology, and psycho-spiritual approaches to trauma and mental health

Dave Seglins is an investigative journalist and “Well-being Champion” with CBC News based in Toronto. He is a leading educator and advocate within the news industry, co-author of a national mental health study of +1200 Canadian journalists, and a fellow of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma (Columbia University).

Fran worked for BBC News for 40 years before leaving the corporation in 2022. Her final role there was as Director of News and Current Affairs.

She was previously Director, BBC World Service Group, a post to which she was appointed to in December 2014. In this role she led the BBC’s global news services – BBC World Service, BBC World News and BBC.com – as well as BBC Monitoring, and she chaired the BBC’s international development charity, BBC Media Action.

Fran began her journalistic career in 1980 in BBC Local Radio, joining Radio 1’s Newsbeat. She spent some time as a network radio producer in Washington D.C. and later joined Radio 4’s The World at One and PM.

In 2005 she became Head of Newsgathering, running one of the world’s largest newsgathering operations with bureaux across the world.

Fran has been Chair of INSI since April 2024.

Tristan Werkmeister is a French video journalist and producer. He currently manages Reuters’ vertical video output for millions of followers on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Tristan previously worked at PinkNews, where he lead a team of video producers focusing on hard news and foreign-language content, and The Associated Press, where he self-shot and produced stories ranging from Boris Johnson’s resignation in the UK to tourism in Finland. He started his career as a Fact-Checking and Investigative Journalist at France 24 and France Info, using Open-Source Intelligence for visual explainers on terrorism attacks and wars.

Dr Rebecca Whittington is the Online Safety Editor for Reach Plc, the UK’s largest commercial news publisher. She was appointed into the role, which was the first of its kind established in the UK, to protect journalists from online harassment and harm. Rebecca also writes about online threats, campaigns for the online safety of women in journalism and sits on the advisory committee for Women in Journalism and the employers sub-committee of the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists.