Covering traumatic material, through first- or second-hand exposure as well as supporting colleagues and community, is an undeniable part of journalism but often not discussed openly. For this month’s ONA meetup, we’ll be discussing journalism, mental health and self-care for digital journalists.
We’ll change up the format a little bit from normal, still with some time for free pizza and drinks at the top. First, we’ll hear from St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Nancy Cambria, who reported on toxic stress and trauma for the paper, about how she managed to balance her personal well-being with reporting on a difficult subject.
Then, we’ll have a roundtable discussion on the topic of mental health and self-care for digital journalists.
Do you have experiences supporting yourself or others in the newsroom through challenging times? What questions do you have about mental health, work/life balance, trauma, or self-care? We want to center this event about what you’re curious about, what you have questions about and through your own experiences with mental health and the newsroom, no matter your role. If you want a place just to discuss recent events, this can be a place for that too.
Email stlouis@journalists.org with your questions/experiences/concerns.
Additionally, here are some wonderful tips from the DART Center for Journalism and Trauma on how managers can help psychological safety.