Journalists are passionate, and even during big and stressful moments, they put the story first. But that can lead to mental and emotional strain including burnout. That’s why Carolyn Fox has made it her priority to create newsrooms that recognize the importance of caring for their journalists, especially during times of high stress. In this episode, she talks about her roles in management at large news organizations, and how she coached her staff through big events such as the police killing of Alton Sterling in 2016 and Hurricane Ian in 2022. We also cover how daily boundaries and work/life balance are important, because even the grind of typical daily news stories can take its toll.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction

01:08 Carolyn's Career Path

05:04 The beginning of her interest in journalist well-being

06:25 Newsroom Conversations on Mental Health

08:37 COVID and Work/Life Balance

10:28 Covering the shooting of Alton Sterling

17:16 Covering Flooding in Baton Rouge

20:07 Journalism and Mental Health in 2016

24:23 Lessons Learned from Hurricane Ian

31:02 Stress and Mental Health in Newsroom Leaders

33:03 Hurricane Prep and Mental Health

37:14 Building a Supportive Newsroom Culture

40:24 Covering ICE in Maine

43:45 How should newsrooms react?

46:59 Conclusion

47:41 Closing

Show Notes

Carolyn Fox on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynpfox/

Maine Trust for Local News
https://www.metln.org/
MTLN Newsrooms
https://www.metln.org/about/

Times Picayune
https://www.nola.com/

Tampa Bay Times

https://www.tampabay.com/

Police Shooting of Alton Sterling (2016)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Alton_Sterling

Baton Rouge Flooding (2016)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Louisiana_floods

Hurricane Ian (2022)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Ian

It was April in Northern Ireland when journalist Lyra McKee was shot and killed during a riot in 2019. Fellow journalist Leona O’Neill not only witnessed the murder, but in the year and a half after, endured an onslaught of hate and threats from conspiracy theorists on social media. She developed PTSD from the trauma of both the shooting and the backlash and was forced to leave her life as a journalist – the only thing she had wanted to be since she was a child. In this episode, Leona talks candidly about her journey with PTSD and how it ultimately fueled her passion to create Media Strong – an organization dedicated to campaigning for better mental health and well-being for journalists.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:38 Understanding the Conflict in Northern Ireland

04:11 Journalism in Northern Ireland

07:40 The Death of Lyra McKee

14:04 The Social Media Backlash

19:08 Leaving Journalism for Academia

25:37 Students and Trauma Literacy

26:58 Media Strong and Newsroom Outreach

30:02 Media Strong and Changing the Mindset

33:12 Overcoming Skepticism and Supporting Management

34:21 Tips for Trauma Resilience

37:28 Getting Journalists on Board

41:50 Not Just Box-Checking: Meaningful Support for Journalists

45:13 Trauma Literacy = Better Journalism

48:54 Media Strong: Focusing on Newsroom Leadership

52:33 Future Goals for Media Strong

53:51 Posttraumatic Growth

56:11 Conclusion

Show Notes

Leona O’Neill on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leona-o-neill-mediastrong/

Leona’s TEDx Talk on her experience with PTSD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERIGYC0WzXg

Media Strong on Payhip
https://payhip.com/mediastrong

News Coverage on Lyra McKee
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy812vnezkro

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/19/uk/my-friend-lyra-mckee-gbr-intl

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/19/obituaries/lyra-mckee-dead.html

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction

01:13 Joe's Journey in Journalism

04:34 Bringing Awareness to Journalism and Trauma

09:39 Thinking about Trauma Holistically

10:58 Covering the Oklahoma City Bombing

12:33 Thinking Differently about Victim Coverage

14:34 Experience from Previous Tragedy Coverage

15:46 Brining Trauma Training to his Newsroom

17:45 Frank Ochberg and the Beginnings of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma

22:06 The Importance of Journalists as part of the Community

25:19 The Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial

27:09 The Survivors' Tree

29:09 A Career Shaped by Oklahoma City Tragedy

32:31 The Importance of Trauma Champions

33:29 Navigating Reporter Responses

35:57 Understanding Management Responsibility

37:50 The Impact of Local vs. National Journalists

40:50 Joe's Latest Book on Trauma and Resilience

44:27 Stories of Victims and Journalists

46:34 Audience for the Book

47:44 Themes in the Book

51:35 His Inspiration from the Book

54:25 Looking Ahead

55:36 Conclusion

56:49 Closing

Show Notes:

Joe Hight
https://www.oklahomahof.com/author/joe-hight

Edmond Post Office Massacre https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=ED003

Oklahoma City Bombing
https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=OK026

People Mentioned:
Ed Kelley
https://okjournalismhalloffame.com/2003/carl-ed-kelley/

Frank Ochberg
https://istss.org/istss-lifetime-achievement-award-presented-to-ochberg-istss/

Congressman Bill Brewster
https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=BR013
David Handschuh
https://www.davidhandschuh.com/

Mike Walter
https://www.cgtn.com/face/mike-walter.html

Organizations Mentioned:

Global Center for Journalism and Trauma
https://gcjt.org/

Oklahoma City Newspaper – The Oklahoman
https://www.oklahoman.com/

Oklahoma City Memorial
https://memorialmuseum.com/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:39 From Journalism to Academia

05:21 Why study anniversary journalism?

07:57 Journalists and Anniversary Coverage

11:16 News Organizations and Anniversary Coverage

14:06 Journalist as "unofficial" anniversary expert

17:13 Acceptance of the lack of support

19:45 Feelings of Guilt

22:33 Journalists as Victims

25:50 The Cycle of Anniversary Coverage

27:43 Advice for Newsrooms

30:43 Journalists as Agents of Memory

34:31 Future Research

37:22 Conclusion

37:42 Closing

Show Notes

Indri Maulidar LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/indri-maulidar/?isSelfProfile=false

Indri Maulidar Bio - https://sjmc.wisc.edu/news/staff/maulidar-indri/

More on the 2004 Indian Ocean (Boxing Day) Tsunami - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and_tsunami

“The Impossible” – Movie based on the tsunami - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1649419/

Maulidar, I. (2025). Commemorating trauma: The impact of anniversary journalism on journalists’ mental health and well-being. Journalism, online first. DOI: 10.1177/14648849251384495

On this episode, I team up with Dr. Mimi Perreault from the University of South Florida to talk all things disaster reporting. We dig into the vital role journalists play before, during and after natural disaster hits, as well as how to build relationships with your community that pay dividends in the aftermath. We also discuss how coverage of the victims can lead to meaningful change despite those stories being the most difficult to do. Dr. Perreault has been fascinated by natural disaster since she was a child, and I hope you find her information fascinating as well!

Chapter List:

00:00 Intro

01:18 A Career Dictated by Disaster

04:11 The Vital Role of Journalists During Disaster

08:01 Journalists are also a part of the Community during Disaster

11:31 Misinformation and Hurricane Helene

16:00 Journalists and PIOs during Disaster

20:04 Thoughtful Selection of Stories during Disaster

22:41 Creating Relationships Prior to Disaster

25:48 Reporting on and Supporting a Community

28:06 The Role of Journalists in Disaster Recovery

31:51 Thoughtful Coverage of Victims

35:40 The Importance of Positive Storytelling

38:17 Stories can have lasting impact

43:20 News Deserts and Connecting with your Community

45:36 Coping with Disaster as a Journalist

48:55 How to Connect with Dr. Perreault

49:19 Closing

Show Notes:

Learn more about Dr. Mimi Perreault here.

Follow her on Instagram: @mediatingmimi

Her articles we spoke about:

Perreault, M. F. (2026). The dynamic between journalists and disaster communicators: Best practices in crisis and disaster information sharing. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 54(1), 70–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2025.2573959

Walsh, J. F., & Perreault, M. (2023). What’s with the water: The nature of reporting on the problem of nitrates in Nebraska. Newspaper Research Journal, 44(1), 53-70. https://doi.org/10.1177/07395329221143381

Perreault, M. (2021). Journalism Beyond the Command Post: Local Journalists as Strategic Citizen Stakeholders in Natural Disaster Recovery. Journalism Studies, 22(10), 1279–1297. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2021.1950565

Other resources mentioned:

Local News Go-Bag Toolkit: https://rjionline.org/news/introducing-the-local-news-go-bag-toolkit/

Global Center for Journalism and Trauma: https://gcjt.org/

Journalism Education and Trauma Research Group (JETREG): https://jetreg.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/

It’s never easy starting out in your first job as a reporter, but trying doing it right as a historic pandemic takes hold of the country. Follow that up with two police-involved fatal shootings, and you have the first few years of Anna Huntsman’s journalism career at Ideastream Public Radio in Cleveland, Ohio. In this episode, she talks candidly about how hard her first years were and how she coped with everything from isolation to protests and bodycam footage. She also shares valuable lessons for new and younger journalists, plus some of her favorite stories.

Chapters

00:00 Show Open

01:15 Anna Welcome

01:49 Anna's Career Journey

03:25 Falling in Love with Audio Storytelling

05:40 New Reporter Covering the Pandemic

08:27 Life without a Newsroom

11:06 Navigating a Pandemic

12:45 From a Pandemic to Civil Unrest

16:14 High Stress/High Emotion as a New Reporter

19:37 Another Police-Involved Shooting

21:55 Reporting on Graphic Body Cam Footage

23:37 Staying Focused on the Role

24:55 Coping with the Emotional Burden

26:51 Finding Joy in Hobbies

30:04 Lessons Learned about Boundaries and Capacity

35:20 Reflecting on Growth

38:54 Reflecting on Best Work

43:31 Conclusion

Show Notes

Anna’s Bio: https://www.ideastream.org/news/people/anna-huntsman

Anna’s Series, “Hidden History”: https://www.ideastream.org/hidden-history

On Instagram: @ideastreamneo

Anna’s Story “Wooster Woman Shares Barriers Deaf Immigrants Face in Citizenship Process”: https://www.ideastream.org/community/2025-03-03/journey-is-not-yet-over-wooster-woman-shares-barriers-deaf-immigrants-face-in-citizenship-process

Names/Organizations/Events Mentioned:
Kent State University School of Media and Journalism: www.kent.edu/mdj

News21 Fellowship: https://news21.com/join-our-team/

Amanda Rabinowitz: https://www.ideastream.org/news/people/amanda-rabinowitz

2022 – Jayland Walker: https://www.ideastream.org/tags/jayland-walker

2024 – Jazmir Tucker: https://www.ideastream.org/tags/jazmir-tucker

In this episode, Dr. Denetra Walker breaks down the findings of her study, “’I saw a modern-day lynching’ – Black Journalists’ experiences of trauma #reportingwhileblack,” which was published in Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly in 2025. She provides a fascinating look into the emotional trauma the story caused for her study participants, plus the delicate balancing act Black journalists faced while reporting under such volatile conditions. It’s an eye-opening look into how journalists of color navigated such a racially polarizing story.

Chapters

00:00 Open

01:06 Intro to Dr. Denetra Walker

05:17 Academia is NOT like News!

07:09 Why did she do her study?

10:00 Black Journalists' Reactions to the Video of George Floyd

14:02 The Emotional Toll of Covering Black Deaths

15:58 Black Journalists' Struggle with the Decision to Watch the Video

18:18 Contributions of Newsroom Culture

21:16 Needing a Break but not wanting to Take One

26:37 The Compounding of Emotional Burden

27:56 Black Journalists and Extreme Self-Monitoring

33:14 Black Journalists Caught in the Middle

35:28 Seeking Emotional Support

36:53 The Pursuit of "Objectivity"

40:15 The Personal Connection in Storytelling

43:09 More on Extreme Self-Monitoring

46:06 Added Pressure and Trauma Symptoms

47:37 Bringing Research to the Classroom

52:04 Bringing Research to the Newsroom

56:38 George Floyd Still Resonates

58:11 Future Research Directions

01:01:51 Closing

Show Notes

Learn more about Dr. Denetra Walker here.
Contact Dr. Walker: DenetraWalker@uga.edu

Article Citation:
Walker, D. (2025). “I Saw a Modern-Day Lynching”: Black Journalists’ Experiences of Trauma #ReportingWhileBlack. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly (online first August 27, 2025), DOI: 10.1177/10776990251361797

Chapter List

00:00 Introduction to the Journey

01:17 From National TV News to Academia

05:38 Battling Complex PTSD

10:35 Difficulty Finding Support at Work

14:16 Emotional Numbing as Coping

15:20 The Path to Recovery

19:17 Too Good to get a Needed Break

22:15 Industry Challenges to Trauma Awareness

25:18 Why Study Uvalde?

29:24 Study Results: Physical Symptoms of Trauma

33:27 Study Results: Evolution of Symptoms Over Time

36:30 Study Results: Compassion Fatigue and Guilt

39:58 Study Results: Journalists Don't Need Permission to Feel

42:46 Best Practices for Newsrooms: Debriefing

47:22 Incorporating Research in the Classroom

49:08 The Importance of Mindfulness Techniques

51:27 What's next for his research?

54:06 How to Connect with Jose

54:44 Conclusion

Show Notes

Jesus Ayala Bio
One Year in Uvalde: Mapping Journalists' Trauma Responses in the Aftermath of a Mass Shooting

Chapters

00:00 Opening

01:10 Introduction

03:13 Trauma & Journalism - Sutherland Springs

06:43 Discovering a Curiosity for Trauma Research

10:14 Research Focus: Uvalde Mass Shooting

13:24 Revisiting Uvalde

17:20 Research Findings: Victims' Experience

22:17 Not All Journalists are the Same

24:15 Research Findings: Journalists' Experience

29:07 Do journalists know they can be traumatized?

32:09 The Myth of Objectivity

40:32 Training and Education

48:26 Conclusion

49:51 Close

Show Notes

For more information on the Ochberg Fellowship: https://gcjt.org/programs/fellowships

For more information on the Nieman Fellowship: https://nieman.harvard.edu/fellowships/

The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma is now known as the Global Center for Journalism and Trauma: https://gcjt.org/

Learn more about Dr. Krant’z Pulitzer Prize: https://www.umt.edu/news/2024/05/051424puli.php

To learn more about Dr. Kratz’s Photojournalism: https://www.lisakrantz.com/

In this candid conversation, Meteorologist and Journalist Stephanie Weaver talks about her successes and challenges in her career, balancing work and home as a mom, covering the LA wildfires in 2025, and learning to be her own best advocate. She also talks about her podcast, “I am Not a Weather Girl,” and offers advice for journalists who are new to the field.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction

01:07 Getting to Know Stephanie Weaver

02:33 Her Winding Path to Journalism

05:17 Starting off in Film Making

06:27 Sometimes it's not a straight path

07:39 Adding Meteorology to the Mix

12:21 Covering the Los Angeles Wildfires

16:42 Balancing Emotions in Reporting

20:56 How the Fires Compared to Other Stories

23:50 Challenges of Perfectionism and Identity

27:10 Managing Anxiety

29:55 Embracing Change and Career Pivots

31:05 The Transition to Parenthood and Professional Life

34:02 Shifting Perspectives as a Parent

36:03 Managing Anxiety in High-Stress Environments

38:34 Finding Work-Life Balance as a Journalist

40:02 Advocating for Yourself in Your Career

41:56 Lessons Learned

44:25 Navigating Career Setbacks and Uncertainties

46:42 "I am not a Weather Girl" Podcast

49:21 Journalists are Humans, Too

50:41 Looking Ahead

51:38 Conclusion

Show Notes
Stephanie Weaver Bio - https://www.livenowfox.com/person/w/stephanie-weaver

I am Not a Weather Girl Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-am-not-a-weather-girl-podcast/id1800807293

Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py5UrDpav80

Instagram: @stephweaverTV

Dr. Kari James is an accomplished clinician, researcher, educator and advocate for resilience after trauma. In this fascinating conversation, we dig into her main area of research – moral injury – and how it applies to journalists. We talk about what causes moral injury and how it’s different from, but often confused with, PTSD. We also talk about symptoms and how to build resilience against moral injury, along with what newsrooms and journalism education programs can do to help. I hope you enjoy this really interesting episode filled with a lot of actionable information and tools. Kari was a pleasure to talk with and she deserves special thanks for working through a 15-hour time difference to get this episode recorded!

Chapter List

00:00 Introduction

02:55 How she began to study Moral Injury

04:31 Moral Injury Defined

06:42 Moral Injury and PTSD are not the same

08:36 Origins of Moral Injury Research

11:01 Causes of Moral Injury

15:44 Symptoms of Moral Injury

17:40 The Evolution of Moral Injury Symptoms

21:12 The Importance of Debriefing

21:45 Differences in Treatment

31:43 Consequences of Failing to Seek Treatment

35:45 Susceptibility to Moral Injury

37:37 Moral Injury and Identity

45:10 Organizational Support and Moral Injury

47:20 Factors Influencing Resilience

49:13 Seeking Treatment

52:25 The Importance of Open Dialogue

55:30 Future Research Directions in Moral Injury

56:49 Conclusion

Show Notes

Mission Resilient with Dr. Kari James - https://missionresilient.com/

Dr. Kari James LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kari-james-61a7b9299/

Follow Dr. Kari James on Instagram - @drkarijames

Global Center for Journalism and Trauma - https://gcjt.org/

Center of Excellence for Trauma Research and Policy - https://www.phoenixaustralia.org/

Charlie Scudder is an award-winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. He’s covered many tragedies including the 2016 Dallas police shootings, the 2019 shooting spree in Midland-Odessa, and the school shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde in 2022. In this episode Charlie candidly discusses his struggles with mental health because of his work, and the tools he learned to use to keep him healthy and able to continue doing important journalism. He also talks about how he applies his experiences to his teaching at Southern Methodist University. This episode is a must-listen for anyone wanting to understand more about how journalists can struggle with mental health and the best ways to deal with it.

Chapter list

00:00 Charlie Scudder's Background and Career

03:27 Covering the 2016 Dallas Shootings

07:40 Charlie's Trauma Journey

12:26 Escalating Symptoms of Trauma Exposure

15:24 The Role of Newsrooms

17:51 Seeking Help for Trauma Exposure

22:24 Journalists Are First Responders

26:18 Covering Uvalde

31:48 Learning the Tools for Resilience

34:50 Trauma Informed Journalism Education

40:08 Advice for Journalists

43:54 Charlie's Other Projects

51:01 Conclusion

Show Notes

Charlie’s Bio https://www.smu.edu/meadows/areasofstudy/journalism/faculty/scuddercharlie

Check out Charlie’s work on Seasons 2 & 4 of “The Unforgotten” Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unforgotten/id1752378130
https://open.spotify.com/show/6eTkJLdWysymSWKLQd9R5z

Follow Charlie on Instagram - @cscudder15

Other mentions in the podcast
Global Center for Journalism and Trauma https://gcjt.org/
Dallas Morning News Coverage of the 2016 Police Shootings https://www.pulitzer.org/finalists/staff-190

In this inaugural episode of the “Informed Reporting” podcast, Drs. Gretchen Hoak and Adrienne Garvey explore the often-overlooked issue of trauma in journalism, discussing personal experiences, coping mechanisms, and the role of academia in addressing these challenges. The conversation highlights the importance of peer support, the impact of newsroom culture, and the need for mental health resources. They also discuss innovative approaches like therapy dogs in newsrooms and the necessity of integrating trauma education into journalism training programs.

Chapter List

00:00 Getting to know Dr. Garvey

03:17 Unpacking Trauma in the Newsroom

07:18 Dr. Garvey's Introduction to Trauma Research

09:52 Trauma is Not Just for War Journalists

14:03 Coping Mechanisms

21:14 Newsroom Culture

23:01 Who doesn't love dogs?

28:44 Teaching Trauma Literacy

37:23 Closing

38:27 Credits

Show Notes

Links to studies and information mentioned during the show:

2006 Amish school Shooting – Lancaster, PA

Freinkel, Koopman and Spiegel (1994) Dissociative Symptoms in Media Eyewitnesses of an Execution.

Dworznik and Garvey (2019) Are we teaching trauma?

Anderson and Bourke (2020) Teaching collegiate journalists how to cover traumatic events using Moral Development Theory

Newman, Madrigal and Hight (2023) The inconsistency of trauma-related journalism education goals and instruction

Aoki, et al. (2012) Mental illness among journalists: A systematic review

Pyevich, et al. (2003) The relationship among cognitive schemas, job-related traumatic exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder in journalists