Dr. Kortni (00:00)
Welcome to the Compassionate Newsroom, your gateway to transforming the heart and soul of journalism. I'm your host, Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon. I'm a former news director and television reporter turned happiness scholar. Now I train news leaders and journalists worldwide, teaching them how to cultivate workplace wellbeing and resilience with positive psychology. Each week, join me as I share evidence-based strategies.
and talk with some of the most inspiring people in the industry, including news leaders, journalists, trainers, and mental health experts. Together we'll share actionable approaches to help you. Imagine a newsroom that not only cares about the story, but profoundly values the people behind them. A place where compassion is the competitive advantage. Don't just listen, become part of this transformative journey. Subscribe to and share The Compassionate Newsroom. Let's champion a more supportive,
healthier and happier newsroom culture, one episode at a time.
Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon (01:02)
Happy Wellbeing Wednesday. Welcome to the Compassionate Newsroom, the podcast that elevates the wellbeing of news professionals one episode at a time. I'm Dr. Kortni
This is episode three of our special mental health first aid series. The final part of a journey that's both personal and professional. we explored why mental health first aid matters. we unpacked
what you can learn in the course. And today we'll focus on how to bring this powerful training into your newsroom and into your leadership.
When I was a news director, I cared deeply about my team. I was always encouraging check-ins, reminding people to take time off, and watching closely for the signs of burnout, especially during high stress coverage. But I'll be honest, I didn't always know how to help, and that weighed on me.
So when I went into my MBA program, I was drawn to human resource courses, not to shift my career, but to better understand how to support my team. I've always wanted to be the kind of leader who could protect not just the stories we told, but the people behind them. That curiosity and that calling eventually led me to pursue a PhD.
Now that's when I became a happiness scholar. I built my research and mission around helping newsroom leaders, journalism, wellbeing, and supporting a profession that I adore. I love. And when I became certified in mental health first aid, well, it all clicked. I realized just how powerful this training could be for our industry. this, idea
It isn't a new one. In the UK, the BBC has trained more than 900 employees in mental health first aid. They recognize that journalists covering trauma deserve support and they acted on it. So I did too.
health first aider. I became a mental health first aid instructor. I wanted to bring this training to our newsrooms with a version that is built for us by someone who has lived and been in the profession for more than 20 years.
Now after years of working in news and walking alongside of journalists during some of the hardest and most heroic moments of their lives, I realized something. This work is not just a profession. As I mentioned earlier, it's my calling. And that's why I created the Kortni Alston Lemon Media Institute for Workplace Well-being, better known as
is a nonprofit that was born out of a deep commitment to support journalists, news leaders, and those behind the scenes from sales to storytellers. Not just in their work, but in their wellbeing. It's a nonprofit built on evidence-based practices in positive psychology, mental health advocacy, and a belief that people behind the press matter just as much as the stories we tell.
At KALM we train news professionals to recognize distress, respond with care, and build cultures where empathy and leadership go hand in hand. And because I've been where you are as a news director, as a reporter, and as someone who once carried it all silently, I know how powerful it is to say you don't have to carry it alone.
Being the founder of KALM isn't just a title for me. It's an extension of everything I've worked towards, a space to nurture the next generation of leaders and storytellers. Mental Health First Aid is a nationally recognized training program by the National Council for Mental Well-being. It teaches participants how to recognize and respond to signs of mental health or substance use challenges.
in a way that is practical, empathetic, and effective.
as a certified instructor, I'll lead trainings designed specifically for those working in news, journalists, newsroom leaders, producers, editors, photographers, reporters, digital teams, sales teams across broadcast, print and online platforms.
The training is evidence-based, grounded in research, and designed to meet the real emotional demands of today's newsroom. And we need it. Research from the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma shows that between 80 to 100 % of journalists experience work-related trauma. We're often the first to show up after a tragedy, covering everything from shootings and natural disasters to grief,
and injustice while being expected to keep going without pause. Here's what the course includes. It's two hours of self-paced online pre-work, a live virtual training led by me, and at the end, you'll receive a mental health first aid certificate issued by the National Council for Mental Well-being.
a globally recognized organization that has trained over 4 million people in the United States, advocates for mental health policy, reform, building capacity and care systems, and the leader in international growth of mental health first aid worldwide.
If you're a news leader, an executive producer, a managing editor, a bureau chief, or a department head, Mental Health First Aid gives you something most of us never received.
roadmap for responding to mental health challenges in the workplace. The training equips you to lead with confidence and care. And here's what it covers. Common signs and symptoms of mental health challenges so you can recognize when someone on your team may be struggling. Common signs and symptoms of substance use challenges, a reality in high stress industries like ours. How to interact with someone in crisis with
clarity, empathy with boundaries and non-judgmentally. How to connect someone with professional help, whether it's HR, EAPs, or outside resources. And expanding content on trauma, substance use, and self-care. With specific attention to the needs of those exposed to high impact, high stress
doesn't just help you respond, it helps you understand. It helps you understand what's happening and act with confidence rather than fear or hesitation. Because great leadership today isn't just about deadlines and deliverables. It's about creating a space for your team to feel safe, supported, and seen.
and mental health first aid is a powerful way to begin doing just that. We're offering a special pilot rate of $100. This is more than 40 % off the standard certification cost of $170. It is our way of investing in you while we build something sustainable for the future of journalism. Our wait list, well, our wait list is growing.
and spaces for our pilot training series are limited. if you're ready to get certified or if you want your newsroom to lead the way
Now it's the time to join the list and be among the first to reserve your spot. Visit kalminstitute.org, that is kalminstitute.org, to learn more and to sign up. Let me be clear. Mental health first aid is not about becoming a counselor. It's about being prepared.
It's about being the person who notices, who listens, who connects someone to the help they need. Through Mental Health First Aid, you'll learn how to recognize signs of anxiety, depression, trauma, or substance use, approach difficult conversations with clarity and care, offer immediate support, and connect people to resources. It's like behavioral CPR.
and it's essential in today's newsrooms. Like I said, whether you're a managing editor or a weekend anchor, a photographer in the field, or even a student journalist, and better yet also an educator in journalism and communications, this certification gives you the confidence to care. Backed by science and experience, our industry
It's evolving and it's time our support system evolves with it. Mental health first aid certification can be a turning point for you and your newsroom and you don't have to do it alone. Join the wait list, encourage your team, lead by example and visit the KALM Institute website at kalminstitute.org to take the first step. Together.
We'll build compassionate newsrooms where empathy and excellence, well, they just go hand in hand. Let me be honest about something else. We all became journalists because we believe in something bigger. We believe in truth. We believe in public service. We believe in the responsibility to inform, to investigate, and to shine a light where others might prefer darkness. But here's something we don't talk about enough.
Our ability to do the work, to do it really well, is tied directly to our wellbeing. If you're burned out, battling anxiety, silently holding onto emotional weight of stories that you've told, how can you be expected to keep showing up? Right? That's why mental health first aid is not a nice to have.
It's a press freedom tool because journalists are struggling. Keep this in mind. Because when journalists are struggling, democracy suffers. Some of us may withdraw from the field. We may miss the nuance. We may burn out and just leave the profession altogether.
And trust me, I've met so many people in the industry that has left and hearing some of their stories about the trauma and the fact that they didn't have a certain level of safety when it came down to their mental health. This work we do, the work you do, is essential for our society.
but it's also emotionally expensive. And that's why newsrooms must be equipped to care for people doing it. first aid empowers us to support each other, not as therapists, but as colleagues, again, who notice, who ask, and who know what to do. And when we normalize care, we protect our industry's most valuable asset.
And that is us. All of us. All of us who have worked in newsrooms. All of us that are working in newsrooms. So if you believe in press freedom, because I know you do, because that's the work that we do, right? If you believe in watchdog journalism, then believe in this too.
We can't have a strong democracy without strong journalists. And we can't have strong journalists without mentally healthy newsrooms. Think about that. Think about what you can do. And also think about joining the wait list for mental health first aid and become a mental health first aider in your newsroom.
Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon (12:50)
By the way, there's one thing I didn't emphasize, and that KALM well KALM is spelled with a K, so it's K-A-L-M. So that's the kalminstitute.org, www.kalminstitute.org.
Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon (13:09)
Thank you so much for joining me in this three-part journey in mental health first aid. I'm Dr. Kortni. Remember, your wellbeing is your most important job. And I'm always here to help. See you next week.
Dr. Kortni (13:25)
for tuning into the Compassionate Newsroom podcast. Together we can transform workplace wellbeing in news. If you found value in today's episode, please share it with a colleague to help foster a supportive environment in the industry. And don't forget to subscribe and also visit our website for more resources at thecompassionatenewsroom.com.
