Time to Talk Day: start a conversation about mental health in your newsroom

Credit: George Milton from Pexels

As journalists, we are used to telling stories – amplifying the experiences of others, and sharing words and images with the world to try to make sense of the news. We are also used to listening to those we interview, asking the right questions, and showing empathy.

But, when it comes to telling our own stories, connecting with others to talk about our individual experiences, supporting our colleagues who might be struggling to speak, there are often barriers, reluctance.

This Thursday, 3 February, is Time to Talk Day, marking the nation’s biggest mental health conversation.

Time to Talk Day is run by Mind, the UK mental health charity and Rethink Mental Health. Paul Farmer the CEO of Mind said: "We all have mental health and by talking about it we can support ourselves and others. The last two years have had a huge impact on us all and we know that talking can help us feel less alone, more able to cope and encouraged to seek support if we need to. However you do it, reach out and start a conversation about mental health this Time to Talk Day."

[Read more: Talking tips for the Time to Talk Day]

At Headlines Network we recognise it is not always easy to speak openly about our experiences as journalists. Ours is a macho industry that prides itself on resilience and traditionally rails against admissions of vulnerability. This Time to Talk Day we are announcing two new projects we hope will help change the culture in our newsrooms and promote more open conversations around mental health in the media.

This month we will be launching our podcast, Behind the Headlines, a regular conversation with colleagues from around the world sharing their experiences of the stories and journalism that have impacted them, the challenges they have faced, how they have managed their mental health and how their newsrooms have supported them too.

Journalists are storytellers but sometimes we are conditioned to stay silent about our own experiences. Our podcast aims to change that. We know when we hear others speak candidly when they show vulnerability, it helps others feel less isolated and more able to speak about their mental health. Vulnerability is reframed as a strength. We want to break down barriers in an industry, but also want to ensure nobody feels pressured to talk if they don’t want to.

Our primary audience will be journalists and media industry colleagues. However, we are also aiming to reach a wider community, to show members of the public how journalism works, that our colleagues are not robots but real people, who face pressures, be that because of the stories they cover or the situations they work in. We would like to highlight the role journalism plays in supporting democracies and the related need to ensure that journalists are able to thrive so journalism can too.

[Read more: Improving mental health in the newsroom]

At the heart of Headlines Network is our belief in the effectiveness of empathy. It is something many of the best journalists have by the bucket full. It is how they often get our best stories. Unfortunately, it is widely accepted that the best journalists do not always make the best managers and therefore that empathy we have for the subjects of our stories sometimes does not reach us and our colleagues.

In the workshops we ran late last year at Headlines Network with the support of the Google News Initiative, we heard frequently from our colleagues about how rare it is for managers and those in positions of responsibility to receive training to help them support their colleagues from a mental health perspective.

Later this year, we will be rolling out a programme for newsroom colleagues who oversee others to ensure they are better equipped at starting conversations to support their colleagues’ mental health. Our training will also help them be better able to look after themselves since we know that effective role modelling goes far in supporting the health of a workplace.

Headlines Network will also be developing practical tips for journalists at all levels of the news industry to help them manage their mental health and support others. We are collaborating with industry and mental health experts in all our projects and hope to work closely with newsrooms that are committed to supporting their colleagues and really starting an effective conversation that leads to cultural change.

[Read more: Newsroom managers must do more to support staff's mental wellbeing]

We know we have some way to go. Stigma and shame mean communicating can be awkward even for us communicators.

It took me years to feel able to speak about my own post-traumatic stress. Despite working in journalism safety for a decade, I felt ashamed to admit I was not well, to talk about some of my experiences and how they had affected me.

I believed speaking might negatively impact my reputation, that people would see me as weak, or blame me. I felt alone. I know now that many colleagues feel the same. When I did feel able to share my experiences publicly, after seeking help through therapy and trusted conversations with friends, I felt relieved.

I was really surprised by the number of strangers and colleagues who contacted me to say hearing my story helped them feel less isolated. It was not easy to talk, and sometimes it is still tough, but I am fortunate to have been able to do so. I realise mine is not a privilege afforded to everyone in an industry that still marginalises certain communities and individuals. I also realise I can only speak from my perspective, but I can listen without judgement and I know listening is half of the conversation. This was my motivation in setting up Headlines Network with my colleague John Crowley.

This Time to Talk Day, we are committed to listening and to holding space for colleagues. We know the past couple of years have been extra difficult, with the pandemic exacerbating stressors that already weighed heavily on the mental health of many journalists. Our industry has been forced to reinvent itself since 2020 and, while we know this brings challenges, we also believe this offers an opportunity for us to press the reset button, and to deeply consider how our industry and its most precious resources – its people – can thrive. None of this will happen unless we make the time to talk, to listen and to really hear those around us.

Hannah Storm is a media consultant specialising in journalism safety, crisis management and effective, empathetic leadership. She is the founder and co-director of Headlines Network, a community set up to promote more open conversations around mental health in the media.

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