Re-framing mental health in journalism

Media Resilience Network offers confidential trauma resources to journalists

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Journalists are present at some of the most difficult moments in public life: natural disasters, violence, courtrooms, hospital wards, political unrest.

Audiences see the finished story. What is less visible is the cumulative emotional cost of reporting it.

In recent years, newsrooms have begun talking more openly about burnout, workload, and work-life balance. But mental health advocates inside the profession say burnout is only part of the picture. Repeated exposure to trauma — and the moral strain that can accompany it — requires a different response.

Burnout is exhaustion linked to workload, said Luisa Ortiz Perez, a journalist and mental health advocate with more than two decades in the field. She said trauma is what stays with when you come home.

Ortiz Perez has worked as an editor, producer, and digital newsroom leader. For the past ten years, she has focused on supporting journalists’ mental health, digital safety, and protection from online harassment. She now leads the U.S.-based Media Resilience Network, a project powered by Vita Activa, a global nonprofit that provides confidential support to journalists and human rights defenders.

For her, trauma is not a personal failing. It is an occupational risk.

A changing industry, a compounding impact

The profession itself has transformed dramatically over the past two decades. Ortiz Perez began in radio, a medium she describes as deeply human and connective. She later embraced digital journalism and social media with enthusiasm.

Over time, that optimism gave way to realism.

The rise of digital platforms has amplified online harassment and abuse, particularly toward women and journalists from marginalized communities. Online hostility does not end when a story is filed. It can follow reporters, compounding stress and exposure to trauma.

The chilling effect of violence when it’s using these almost immediate tools to communicate — it’s very damaging, she said.

At the same time, remote work and always-on digital culture have reduced opportunities for in-person decompression and informal peer support. The boundaries between work and personal life are increasingly blurred.

The psychological toll is not evenly distributed. Women journalists and reporters from marginalized communities often face the dual burden of field trauma and targeted online harassment, intensifying both exposure and impact.

Community as infrastructure

Historically, journalism culture has rewarded toughness and emotional distance. Many reporters were trained to suppress emotional responses in the name of objectivity. Ortiz Perez believes the future of journalism depends on a different approach.

The only way we’re going to dismantle authoritarianism, violence, and internet abuse is through vulnerability, kindness, and human connection, she said. We need to show up as human.

Before launching the Media Resilience Network in the United States, her team surveyed journalists about what they needed most. The answer was clear: community.

Community means togetherness, she said. Conversations are medicine.

Journalists asked for non-judgmental spaces where they could speak openly about their experiences — spaces that recognize the demands of the job without pathologizing those who do it. They wanted time and permission to process difficult assignments.This reflects a broader shift in the industry. Trauma-informed practices — including structured debriefings, peer support and access to specialized counseling — are increasingly recognized as essential to sustainable journalism.

Radical empathy as professional strength

For Ortiz Perez, acknowledging emotion does not undermine journalistic standards. It strengthens them.

You take that fire in your belly and pass it through your journalism toolkit, she said.

Empathy can deepen reporting when it is paired with rigor. Asking a source how they are feeling. Recognizing the weight of an experience. Creating space for dignity. These practices do not center the reporter; they center humanity.

How can we connect better with our sources if not by radical empathy? she asked. We are not affecting the story. We are providing better context. At the same time, she emphasizes boundaries. After a difficult assignment, journalists should feel able to tell an editor, That was close. That was hard. Seeking support is not a professional weakness; it is responsible practice.

Building a more sustainable future

Unaddressed trauma can affect concentration, decision-making and long-term well-being. Treating psychological injury as an occupational hazard — rather than an individual shortcoming — re-frames the conversation.

In a political climate where press freedom is under strain globally, sustaining journalists themselves is inseparable from sustaining democracy.

Embedding trauma-informed approaches into newsroom culture, leadership training and journalism education strengthens both staff welfare and the integrity of reporting.

It is an awakening, Ortiz Perez said. People are realizing we cannot continue like this.

Supporting journalists is not separate from protecting press freedom. It is part of sustaining it.

Journalism depends on witnesses. Supporting those witnesses is not optional — it is foundational.

How to access support

Journalists seeking confidential support can access the following services:

• Journalists in the United States: email Media Resilience Network at hello@mdrnet.org.
• Journalists outside the United States: email Vita Activa at support@vita-activa.org.

Both services offer confidential, judgment-free support designed specifically for journalists and media workers.

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Beth McCowen is a freelance journalist who specializes in women’s health and sport. Her work seeks to alter how individual journalists and the media as a whole approach and raise awareness of issues. Follow her on Bluesky at @bethmccowen.bsky.social.

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