Self-care advice for journalists

Updated June 23, 2020

[For more resources available to news organizations in light of the coronavirus pandemic, please visit lenfestinstitute.org/coronavirus.]

These are challenging, uncertain times. It can be hard for journalists to make sense of how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting their own day-to-day lives, let alone the lives of community members they need to cover. 

But it’s important to remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and if newsrooms want to be able to continue to serve their neighbors, they need to take care of themselves as well.

Here are some self-care resources and tips we’ve found over the past couple of weeks. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected] with any other suggestions.

• From Columbia Journalism School, The Dart Center has created self-care guides and support practices for editors and reporters during times of disaster
  • Self-Care Amid Disaster
  • Reporters Exposed to Traumatic Events: Tips for Managers and Editors
  • Editor Perspective: Self-Care Practices and Peer Support for the Newsroom

• Poynter released nine stress-relieving strategies for journalists working this non-stop story and how they can take care of themselves

• In this 2017 ONA post, Hannah Wise, now with The New York Times, shared three tips for a community-approach to self care.

• University of Virginia clinical psychologist Claudia Allen assembled nine tips to protect your mental health during quarantine

• Wikimedia, the nonprofit behind Wikipedia, announced its remote work strategy, emphasizing a family-focused approach that prioritizes employee well-being.

• Misleading headlines can spark more panic. Harvard Health Publishing and Time posted tricks to weeding out misinformation and keeping a clear head. 

• Hannah Storm, director of the Ethical Journalism Network, documented ethical concerns surrounding coronavirus reporting and how journalists can take care of themselves.

• Itching to dive into a story? Scribd is offering all ebooks and audiobooks to all for free in an effort to ease self-isolation. 

• Despite gyms being shut down for the foreseeable future, staying active at home is not impossible! The New York Times put together some tips for at-home exercise.  

• Astronaut Scott Kelly gives advice on self-isolation after spending almost a year alone in space from 2015-2016.

• ELLE writer George Driver published 9 rituals to manage daily anxiety during coronavirus quarantine

• The International Journalists’ Network is hosting a worldwide webinar on Journalists’ mental health from 1pm to 2pm EDT on April 2. It features a panel including executive director of Columbia University’s Dart Center, Bruce Shapiro, and Sherri Ricchiardi, co-author of ICFJ’s Disaster and Crisis Coverage Guide
• The Carter Center’s Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism. collected resources on mental health management and self-care for both journalists and the general public

• The International Journalists Network held a webinar on journalists’ mental health and curated resources for working journalists. 
• First Draft assembled self-care guidelines for journalists to stay healthy while demand for reporting is high

• Healthy habits are paramount while self isolating. The Philadelphia Inquirer offers resources to stay consistent including tips for better sleep and daily stretches to relieve daily tension.

• RTDNA created a guide to newsroom mental health, covering everything from managing daily stress to covering disaster and trauma

• News Media Alliance put together a thread of mental health stories and resources for journalists in recognition of Mental Health Awareness month

• The networking platform Hostwriter created the Collaboration Wire to connect editors and journalists around the world who are looking for work due to the coronavirus-related lockdowns. 
• The nonprofit Cortico created a guide to leading Zoom conversations with community members through virtual events and online engagement.

• Conferences planning has been thrown completely off course. Here’s how the Collaborative Journalism Summit turned around and reorganized a virtual event.
• Columbia Journalism Review outlined some strategies for how editors can best support their freelance writers’ well-being.

• The Philadelphia Inquirer, with help from a psychologist, breaks down how to break bad quarantine habits 

• With cases climbing faster than ever, isolation and social distancing measures could extend further into the future. Here’s how to comfortably manage loneliness and spend time with yourself.

Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash