The Global North learns coping skills from the Global South

"As 2025 comes to an end, we look back in search of clarity, a pattern, a sign, a hint of hope for 2026. We've all been somewhat thrown off balance, collectively and individually, this year. Yet once again, we're still standing. Journalism is still alive, and its professionals continue to put their whole selves on the line to help us make sense of the madness."

"This allowed us to pull out practices already implemented alongside pilots and ideas we wish to see become the norm. What stood out most was the immense value in looking beyond traditional centers of power: We have much to learn from regions and countries that have faced decades of crisis and instability, often with limited resources. These trends offer hope and a practical roadmap for creating a healthier journalism industry."

"Implementing trauma-informed leadership training: News leaders and editors will undergo training to recognize symptoms of burnout, anxiety, and vicarious trauma in their staff. This proactive approach reinforces that healing is a relational, collective endeavor - not a response to an individual failure. Adopting flexible, care-centered labor policies: Organizations will expand nontraditional, care-centered policies, including time off for extended caregiving duties (beyond immediate family) and the enforcement of digital boundaries outside work hours."

Across a three-day summit, 170 speakers from 47 countries delivered over 50 sessions—more than 30 hours—on wellbeing strategies and resilience for journalism. Transcripts were analyzed with AI to distill trends for 2026. Emphasis emerged on learning from regions with prolonged crisis and limited resources to inform practical, scalable practices. Priorities include trauma-informed leadership training so editors can recognize burnout, anxiety, and vicarious trauma, and care-centered labor policies offering expanded caregiving leave and enforced digital boundaries. These approaches position healing as collective work and propose a roadmap to make journalism healthier and more resilient amid uncertainty.

Read at Nieman Lab