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Hannah Storm (above), co-founder of Headlines Network speaking at Society of Editors' Future of News conference 2023

Credit: Society of Editors

This article is based on a speech given at the Society of Editors Future of News conference, originally published here. It has been edited and republished with permission from the author

Hannah Storm is a journalist with 20 years' experience in regional, national and international news. She is the co-founder of the Headlines Network, an organisation that provides training and conversations around mental health in journalism. She is also the former director of the International News Safety Institute (INSI) 

I have made it my mission to promote mental health in journalism, after a period when I felt so alone, unsupported and ashamed that there were times I did not know how to go on. I know others suffer in silence, feel isolated, anxious, guilty, exhausted, broken by the news we are supposed to break.

Rewind to 2019

Just before the world changed completely and the covid pandemic began, I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of multiple interwoven experiences, connected with my journalism.

I wanted to share my experiences, knowing it would help me, hoping it would help others, although I was still scared. With the help of the Poynter Institute in the States, I wrote a piece called ‘How PTSD gave me the strength to share my story’. I was overwhelmed by the reaction to it, proving that an admission of vulnerability is not failure, but strength, and, though we are often discouraged from becoming the story, we each have our own.

The article explains the roots of my various traumas, including  covering the 2010 earthquake in Haiti after previous trips there as a freelance journalist, vicarious trauma from my work on news desks and cumulative exposures to distressing situations at INSI, as well as sexual assaults and abusive relationships connected with my journalism.

Though my diagnosis did not come until 2019, I experienced symptoms for many years before. To the outside world, I seemed to be holding it together. But I was in turmoil, consuming too much alcohol and exercising excessively. I felt exhausted, experienced chronic pain and digestive issues, and had frequent nightmares. I catastrophised ordinary incidents, imagining terrible things happening to my loved ones. I would take extreme measures to reminders of my traumas.

I was unable to share how awful it had gotten with my colleagues. I did not even tell my family that I had considered suicide because it seemed to be the only escape from my past. 

Then came a day when I hit the bottom so badly that there were only two options: end it, or piece myself back together. Thanks to very close journalism friends, I sought help which slowly helped me discover ways of resting, recovering and rebuilding. I now have a name for my pain. I survived and am now thriving, but recovery is not always linear and like many people, I have bad days.

This is why I want to be an empathetic, non-judgemental source of support for others. This was the genesis of Headlines Network and my consultancy work. I am often hired by managers as a neutral expert to facilitate conversations with staff. 

In the past two and a half years, hundreds of journalists have shared with me their concerns, coping mechanisms, support systems and what they would like to see from their leaders and newsrooms.

It is gratifying to witness folks realising they are not alone in their experiences. After the meetings, I offer anonymous feedback to bosses on the themes I heard, which are often corroborated by conversations I have elsewhere in industry.

For leaders, this is often a lightbulb moment when they realise the value of investing in these conversations and acting on them. I know times are tough and finding extra budget for anything is almost impossible. But we must recognise how the resources we have can help our wellbeing and that of our industry.

Poor mental health costs UK employers £56 billion a year, according to a survey by Deloitte published last year. Their report found that 28 per cent of respondents had left their jobs or were planning to leave, with 61 per cent of them citing poor mental health as the reason. There is no breakdown for the news industry, but Deloitte also found that for every pound invested in staff wellbeing, employers see a return of £5.30.

Journalists are resilient, not immune

We have had a tough few years of a relentless news cycle, with little let up from difficult news. Boundaries have blurred between our personal and professional lives. It is hard to switch off and our coping mechanisms are frayed.

The cumulative nature of difficult stories is wearing, our resilience is impacted by economic and other uncertainties at work and home. There is also the declining trust of audiences, a rise in attacks against journalists, physically and online - a licensing of such violence by elected politicians. Some individuals and groups within our industry carry the extra burden of systemic injustice.

People are burning out, and leaving our industry

Everybody's emotional load varies, but many colleagues tell me they are exhausted. Burnout is classed by the World Health Organisation as an occupational hazard, and it is forcing people to leave our industry.

It impacts most those who feel marginalised because of their identity or history, as well as freelancers, who traditionally have less support. The diversity and talent of our newsrooms, and by extension the wider communities we serve, will be damaged if we do not foster inclusive cultures where people feel comfortable speaking openly, when they choose.

We need to normalise conversations

We all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. And we all experience it differently, with mental health covering a breadth of experiences.

Sadly, one of the most common concerns I hear from colleagues – anywhere – is they are still scared that admitting they are distressed will prevent them from getting the next promotion, or story. And yet, it can be transformational for all of us when people feel safe sharing their stories.

Leading by example

Leaders need to lead from the top, understand the needs of those we work with, and act on what we hear. There is no single solution to this, but this can include regular town halls, where managers hear from their staff about how they are doing and share what resources are available to them.

I know of a colleague who opens a Google Hangout at the same time every week for people to join, if they want a chat, another who works remotely, but invites their direct reports to go for a walk and a talk together outside. 

Some newsrooms have surveyed staff anonymously to inform practices around wellbeing, which can also help with diversity, inclusion, recruitment, and retention initiatives. When leaders openly share their mental health struggles, it is a reminder that we are all human.

Wellbeing workshops, bringing in expert speakers or providing team treats after taxing run of stories can all make a difference.

Regular communication: before, during and after

Show people you care, remind them what support they can access, and respond based on people's changing needs, while also managing expectations. 

Review this regularly, too. This is about validating people's experiences, thanking them for what they do, recognising the toll their work takes, and offering them space or support to recover, rest and rebuild.

It's important to do this when people are not at crisis point. Make conversations about mental health as normal as any other process. If things happen holistically, then it is not so hard when things get really challenging.

How do managers have conversations?

You are not clinicians. A lot of people worry about making things worse. Rarely do we have the opportunity to practise anything, let alone conversations with our colleagues.

At Headlines Network, we have run interactive workshops for managers where participants get to practise realistic scenarios. This helps people feel much more at ease, to recognise their responsibilities and the boundaries of their roles, as well as when and how to signpost people to additional support.

Talking the talk, and walking the walk

I meet many managers on the edge of burnout, caught in a 'stress sandwich' between those they report to and those they manage. Nobody wants a pity party, but too often managers have nobody checking in on them, leaving them hanging by a thread. 

People look up to leaders and because if we have trouble at the top, it will trickle down. It is not just about when we send emails, or how late we are working. We need to have clear boundaries and manage our own mental health too. 

We are not cogs in a machine, but humans

Too often people feel like cogs in a machine, churning out content. AI aside – without journalists there can be no real journalism. 

Good journalism relies on us creating spaces where we can hear people’s stories, listen actively, show empathy, where we can be quiet for long enough that people entrust us with their experiences.

If these skills make for good journalism, surely we can use them to bolster our journalists. If empathy helps us connect with the people whose stories we tell, surely it can help us connect with each other.

There is no need for competition in this space. I am pretty sure that sharing is caring and that together we can build a coalition that bolsters wellbeing for journalists and journalism. I invite you to join me.

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