Addressing the Hidden Trauma of Newsroom Leadership

On June 1, 2026, while Anna Babinets was in Marseille preparing for a panel session at the World News Media Congress, bombs were falling across Ukraine. By the following morning, the apartment used by her news team had been destroyed.

Babinets, the Regional Editor of Ukraine’s Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Kyiv-based investigative centre Slidstvo.Info, did not miss her scheduled session. She later explained from the stage that such volatility is now a standard part of the profession, stating, “You should be ready for everything, and more.”

Her experience served as a catalyst for a panel discussion titled “Who takes care of the editors,” which addressed the often-overlooked psychological burden placed on newsroom leadership. The session highlighted that while reporters face significant trauma, editors carry a distinct set of pressures and a “moral duty” to protect their staff while managing their own mental health.

The Psychological Toll of Newsroom Leadership

Professor Anthony Feinstein, a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto who has researched war reporters and PTSD for nearly 30 years, presented data indicating that rates of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder are significantly higher among journalists than in the general population.

Feinstein introduced the concept of “moral injury” and discussed the development of the Toronto Moral Injury Scale for Journalists, the first tool created specifically to measure this condition. He noted that editors face additional stressors because they are responsible for the safety of journalists sent into dangerous conditions.

Feinstein emphasized the need to remove the stigma associated with therapy, noting that journalists are frequently the primary interface with violence in society despite not being formally schooled in how to handle it.

Primary Risks Facing Editors

International human rights lawyer Caoilfhionn Gallagher, who has represented high-profile clients such as Nobel laureate Maria Ressa and Jimmy Lai, identified four primary risks that specifically impact editors:

• Dual Burden: Editors, especially those in exile media or conflict zones, are often targeted themselves while simultaneously managing the emotional pain of their staff, frequently feeling unable to demonstrate weakness.
• Vicarious Trauma: The psychological toll resulting from managing crises where staff members are killed, tortured, or imprisoned.
• Burden of Oversight and Decision-Making: The pressure of making high-stakes, rapid decisions that may increase a detained journalist’s immediate risk to secure their eventual release. Gallagher noted that risk assessments have historically failed to account for geopolitical risks, such as dual nationals being taken hostage, or online abuse targeting minorities and women.
• Increasing Targeting: A global trend in countries without the rule of law to specifically target publishers and editors to intimidate younger journalists and dismantle news ecosystems.

Institutional and Organizational Responses

Phil Chetwynd, Global News Director for AFP, who oversees approximately 1,700 journalists across more than 150 countries, discussed the necessity of building a culture of awareness regarding trauma. He argued that leadership must be transparent about these struggles to effect real change.

“The first big change was to identify that problem, put budget behind it, and bring in people to help your newsroom,” Chetwynd said. “And then as a leader, you have to walk the walk because no one’s going to follow you unless you are vulnerable enough to talk about these issues and keep talking about these issues so that the culture of the company changes.”

Phil Chetwynd, Global News Director for AFP

Strategies for Wellbeing and Recovery

The panel offered practical recommendations for both individual editors and the organizations that employ them. Anna Babinets shared a three-pronged approach she has used for wartime self-care:

• Maintaining boundaries: Implementing a strict separation between work and personal time and respecting the time off taken by journalists.
• Pursuing normality: Encouraging staff to engage in normal activities, such as reading or going to the cinema, to treat the work as a marathon rather than a sprint.
• Peer support: Establishing a “manager’s club” where editors can discuss hiring, motivation, and personal pain in a safe environment.

For newsrooms, the panelists recommended providing confidential access to therapy, fostering a sensitive tone from leadership, and encouraging editors to collaborate with rivals on non-competitive issues like stress management and security.

On a personal level, Professor Feinstein suggested that editors control their “micro environment” by prioritizing sleep, exercise, and appetite, while dedicating time to family and hobbies. He stated that strong relationships are the most significant protective factor for emotional health.

These discussions align with preliminary findings from a global survey by the Reuters Institute released in late May 2026. The survey warned that conflict journalism is no longer limited to traditional battlegrounds due to the rise of drone attacks, war rhetoric, and digital surveillance, necessitating deeper institutional support and education for those exposed to these traumas.