Self-care

Journalists are like first-responders. We often see some of the worst moments of people’s lives. Here are ways to help yourself and your colleagues maintain good mental health as we do our demanding but vital jobs.

Be the Beat: How to do CPR*

Tips and videos of CPR dos and don’ts from the American Heart Association with rich data and insights on women’s heart health – not a certification class.

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    • Coping with the stress and trauma of journalism, using our EAP benefit

    The EAP provides qualified counseling experts for you and your family members. It is free and confidential. This 60-minute session from EAP facilitator Gwen Kinsey will reintroduce this benefit and answer questions about how to use it. Gwen will also focus on the effects of stress, trauma and burnout for journalists.

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    • Coping with stress, trauma and burnout

    We focus on the effects of stress, trauma and burnout on individuals and teams, and offer guidance and recommendations for how to cope most effectively. This provides a grounding in trauma science and basic awareness of the impact of trauma exposure and related stresses along with evidence-based strategies and practices in wellness and collegial support.

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    • Coping with burnout

    How to combat the understandable effects ​of a relentless news cycle during the pandemic​.

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    • Securing your digital footprint

    Strong passwords, two-factor authentication and other lines of defense from online harassment or hacking.

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    • How editors can support writers with mental health conditions

    It’s important for editors to allow for long-term adjustments that might wax and wane as a writer’s health fluctuates.

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    • Safely reporting from protests and other tense events

    These are stressful times. Being out in the world as a journalist carries an element of risk. But a world without engaged journalists watching over it is risky, too. Our aim is to identify as many risks as we can and take steps to reduce them, prepare for them, and neutralize them if they do arise.

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    • Managing online harassment: What to know to ensure your digital and psychological safety

    This session provides reporters, editors, managers and other news staff with practical digital security steps and psychological precautions to take before, during, and after online harassment and attacks.

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    • How editors and managers can help keep reporters and photographers safe during protests

    Guidance for managers, starting with planning before a charged event, to communicating and adapting as conditions change to after-action debriefs.

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    • Q&A for journalists on personal safety and legal rights at protests

    Advice from front-line journalists, lawyers, and behind-the-scenes personal safety experts on how to cover unrest while maintaining your Constitutional rights and your personal safety.

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    • A discussion of trauma and peer support

    In this webinar, Bruce Shapiro of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma delves into trauma and peer support.

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    • Trauma: Additional resources from the Dart Center

    For more on self-care, self-assessment, limiting exposure to trauma, speaking to traumatized sources and more, the Dart Center has extensive resources available.

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    • Trauma: Dealing with online harassment

    These workshops share some of the foundational learnings around how we absorb and process trauma, as well as practical tips for self-care and how to deal with online harassment.

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    • Resources for coping with trauma

    If you believe you might be feeling the effects of trauma, Gannett’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers resources.

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    • Building resiliency: What science can teach us

    Dr. Steve Southwick of the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder discusses how to build resiliency during times of crisis.

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    • Identifying and supporting trauma among fellow journalists

    A newsroom-wide briefing and discussion on trauma and journalism, introducing best practices in coverage and the basics of self-care and collegial support.

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    • Black women, politics, culture, society, trauma and healing

    Nichelle Smith, Dr. Aisha Lowe and Kimberly Melton joined LIVE with Dr. AMC & Friends for a thoughtful roundtable discussion.

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