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 (01:03)
Wellbeing Wednesday. I'm Dr. Courtney. You're listening to episode 11 of the Compassionate Newsroom podcast. I am so happy that you're here. Today, well, we have a journalist, resilience trainer, and an author joining us. Her name is Uta Cornith. She's been a deputy head of an online newsroom for 20 years. Uta is also a member of the board.
of the German Federation of Journalists, known as DJV, and a member of the European Federation of Journalists. She has facilitated training sessions on communication, resilience, and agile methods. We'll also take a closer look inside how these techniques can help your newsroom. Plus, we'll explore her book, Buddha Loves Rafting. You'll find all the resources mentioned in the show notes. Plus, you can visit the dedicated episode page.
at thecompassionatenewsroom.com forward slash the number 10. That's thecompassionatenewsroom.com forward slash 10. Let's get started.
Dr. Kortni (02:08)
I'm so excited about this conversation. Ute thank you so much for being here with us today.
Ute (02:15)
Thank you so much for the invitation.
Dr. Kortni (02:17)
She
is incredible. We met at the self investigation, the first summit focused in on the mental health of journalists. And I'm so grateful to have you here on the podcast to talk about some of your amazing work that you're doing.
And so to start, could you share something about maybe a good news leader or mentor that you found in the industry that was really inspirational to you and your career and why?
Ute (02:50)
Okay, I've been inspired by different people and for me it's not about one single person but many different ones and actually they don't come from the journalistic field but they have so many fantastic qualities that are not specific for any industry but apply to leadership in general. So there's one person, his name is Dr. Amjee Namyal Punrab. He's a Tibetan
doctor and teacher who not only taught me to teach Tibetan yoga but also taught me a lot about mindfulness and resilience and more.
And I'm also greatly impressed by Keith McCandless, one of the creators or founders of the Liberating Structures, and Nancy White, who is a member of his team. And we organize an online meetup about Liberating Structures each month, and both of them join us from time to time, supporting us and sharing their knowledge in such a relaxed and appreciative way, something I've rarely experienced before.
And what else? In my workshops with various teams, I repeatedly meet people who inspire, motivate and empower their team members.
Dr. Kortni (03:58)
I love this.
love hearing the range
What qualities did they embody that you feel could serve the newsroom?
Ute (04:08)
I think qualities like appreciation and openness and being transparent and having a growth mindset, showing empathy and seeing the people and trust as well. That's essential in every field including journalism.
Dr. Kortni (04:24)
Absolutely, absolutely. Gosh, I love that you talked about growth mindset. And, you know, because I think that's so important in regards to our views, right? How we see the world and how open we are to new experiences or valuing the process. I love Dr. Carol Dweck and her work in that area. I'm so glad you brought that up. And so let's let's dive in deeper in regards to you and the amazing work that you've been doing, because you
Ute (04:33)
No.
Dr. Kortni (04:50)
have been at the helm of an online newsroom for over two decades. How have you seen the concept of resilience evolve as it to journalism over the years?
Ute (05:03)
Well, I think if I brought up the topic of resilience three years ago, and I did it sometimes, I often have got responses like, I don't need that, I'm strong enough, it's just some soft skills stuff or something. And nowadays, yeah, I think after Corona, especially, however, many more people, including men, who rarely participated before,
Dr. Kortni (05:28)
Yes.
Ute (05:28)
are attending
resilience workshops and things are starting to change but they still do very, very slowly and even though the industry is struggling with huge mental health issues.
I personally know what it feels like to be unseen, constantly under pressure, under stress, and it nearly led to burnout for me, myself. And when my aunt died a few years ago while mountain climbing, it became a turning point in my life somehow. That was the moment when I said stop loud and put the emergency brake for me.
And from that moment on, I started working on myself, building resilience and slowly climbing out of that, that's well, yeah, dark place. And I learned to value myself and recognize that I am good at what I do and how I think. And it was a long way and not always easy past to go, but it was worth it. And so this was the realization of that inspired me.
during a vacation in Bali, think, to create a program that could help others avoid reaching the point of near burnout like I did.
Dr. Kortni (06:33)
Let's talk about, because Ute, you're in Germany, right? And I'm curious, what does the culture look like in terms of wellbeing in Germany? What are some of the things that you have found where you're seeing journalists suffer? For an example,
Ute (06:36)
Yeah.
Dr. Kortni (06:51)
Here in the United States, found that I never thought when I decided to be a happiness scholar to help serve industry, that I would address so many issues concerning racial stress and the Black Lives Matter movement and the coronavirus what that has looked like for journalists and how
they have tried to cope, especially journalists of color. So I'm curious what it looks like in terms of life and reporting in Germany.
Ute (07:23)
We have this racial problem as well, not so much or not only concerning black people, but I think concerning migrants. It's becoming worse. And this is one point
the discrimination of women is still there and the people lose trust in journalism and they call journalists Lügenmedien. well, yeah, mean, Corona played an important role as well.
Dr. Kortni (07:49)
So
what does that mean? You said.
Ute (07:53)
Lügenmedien, yes they say media, we all lie to them.
Dr. Kortni (07:57)
It's probably
our equivalent of hearing fake news here in the United States to a degree.
Ute (08:02)
Yeah, more
or less. And there's hatred in social media. I mean, I don't need to mention Elon Musk. think everybody knows. yeah, there's so many things and there's AI which changes our work process and all these things play an important role concerning stress for journalists.
Dr. Kortni (08:23)
Wow, well, I am so grateful that you have created such a phenomenal program that's going to help serve and has helped served so many people in Germany. And earlier, you talking about your work in an online newsroom. But now I'd love you to talk about a little bit more about the eight-week program that you developed for resilience and appreciative collaboration.
what prompted it, prompted you to create it and tell us, I'd love to hear the impact that it's made.
Ute (08:55)
I started this thing in Bali, but this was only the start. And I did not only write the concept, but I put it also in a book called Buddha Last Rafting. And I teach this eight week program live as well at universities or also for the ZDF ARD Media Academy in Germany, for example, with sessions lasting two and a half hours each week. And when I asked the participants
at the end of the course about the changes they've experienced. Their responses often give me goosebumps. So small steps toward change that are incredibly meaningful like better sleep, feeling more confident to approach others maybe and talk about emotions, managing time more effectively or working more trustfully within teams are just some examples.
So to explain the program, it consists of the modules of mindfulness, resilience, appreciative communication, time management, agile methods and networking. for me, they are a perfect combination to navigate a time marked by constant change, stress and also hatred.
Dr. Kortni (10:03)
really powerful. And I'd love that you talked about your book, because one of the things that resonated when we were on the panel together was learning so much about your background. And I was really, and still am, enamored with your book on the Buddha Loves Rafting, where you explored some unconventional paths to personal and professional growth. Tell us more about a little bit more about the philosophy.
Because now I can see so much of how your experiences have gotten you, to write this powerful book. But tell us about the philosophy, how it applied to helping newsrooms, especially the newsroom culture.
Ute (10:43)
Well, yeah, the Buddha is for me is a symbol of resilience. And as I talked about the Tibetan teacher, he played an important role maybe by finding this title in the book as well. And the rafting for me has so much similarities with agile working. That's why I chose this title, because rafting and agile working are somehow about swimming with the rhythm of rapids while being still open to freestyle.
Dr. Kortni (10:53)
you
Ute (11:09)
And in both worlds, takes at least three skills. need flexibility. We need to make mistakes to learn and engage in adventures. And we need trust. We can't survive in business without it anymore. And we desperately need it in a boat where everybody has to rely on each other. And we need focus, the commitment to reach the next stage together.
And I mean, how do we steer in a raft? We steer with a pedal and using agile methods, which we steer with tools like Scrum or liberating structures or design thinking. They promote appreciative communication and successful teamwork. It's about somehow moving the boat and the team in a sustainable direction. And if, I mean, if someone is not pedaling along that is noticeable, then the boat or the project drift in the wrong direction. So egoists go overboard.
So that's what I thought about and more and more people are on the verge of burnout. I mean, we just need it and the concept can be applied to any industry. as we already talked about, harassment is increasing, pressure is mounting, trust in journalism is declining, AI is rising, fears about the future as well. journalists are...
Dr. Kortni (11:58)
Wow.
Yes.
Ute (12:21)
also exposed to graphic content, report from crisis zones and still often believe they need to be invincible.
Dr. Kortni (12:29)
That's one of reasons why I'm so grateful that now we are talking much more about it, right? I felt like for years we were silenced even though it was one of the things that we know are going on in newsroom, but we didn't really talk about. And so I'm grateful that now we talk more about it and we are providing resources to better serve the industry and even more.
honored to be like you, a trainer in that space. I am so curious for those who, because we're going to dive into it some more in terms of agile methods, but before we do, explain what it is.
Ute (13:05)
Agile methods are simple methods with some rules, but more freedom who create a safe space for people. Everybody is appreciated. Each one's contribution counts the same. And you are creative together. You build up trust in a team.
love the liberating structures which are created by Keith McCandless and Henry, There are 33 methods, think, and they're growing and they improve interactive and inclusive collaboration and they give everyone a voice somehow.
Dr. Kortni (13:39)
I love this because one of the things that really stood out when you were sharing elements of it earlier was that collaborative dynamic, which really speaks to the heart of so many different components when it comes down to a newsroom, right? All of us working together, the story together, getting the news out together,
How do you integrate more of these practices when it comes down to news?
Ute (14:04)
Well, in terms of leaders, resilience, well maybe of resilience in the newsroom, let's talk about leaders. They have a responsibility to create the safe space for open conversations about mental health. Otherwise it wouldn't work. If they don't think that mental health is important, it wouldn't work. And they have to offer workshops, I mean like mine or others even, and ensure that media professionals are protected.
whether they're covering demonstration or facing online harassment. And they must also provide access to psychological support, I think. And one important thing is we sometimes forget that freelancers are even more under pressure. So they face additional challenges like if I refuse to do a reporting on something for safety reasons, this should not lead to future opportunities being lost.
And need peer support. think we already talked about it, but people listening to the podcast don't know that in Germany there's the project called Helpline from Netzwerk Recherche.
I'm part of it and where journalists can anonymously share their experiences, receive support and get advice such as seeking assistance from organizations like HateAid for legal action against online hate for example. But we can also put up peer-to-peer support in a newsroom. We need to listen to each other more and watch out for another and ask the question, are you okay? And are you really okay more often?
And I think these small actions in common have a huge impact making people feel less alone.
Dr. Kortni (15:44)
you're absolutely right. It allows people to feel seen, right? That psychological safety that you mentioned is so important and support it, creating that level of support within the organization. I love to hear about an example of a challenge that maybe a person faced during some of your trainings and they shared what's happening in their newsroom.
and how your training in terms of Agile and resilience training kind of helps serve them.
Ute (16:15)
Well, can give you an example from our own newsroom, maybe. It wasn't a single person, but I can describe a small situation, maybe. There was a time when the mood in one of the teams was really, well, at the bottom. I don't know if you say it like that, but motivation was equally low due to various factors. And I thought about it a long time and organized several smaller workshops using liberating structures and few...
Dr. Kortni (16:19)
Yes.
Yes.
Ute (16:44)
resilience exercises and these workshops led to open discussions which we didn't have before anymore what was troubling and affecting each team member and once everything was put on the table we identified the challenges we wanted to address first and gradually worked on them together.
And this together was very important. And this process helped the team grow closer again, regain trust again, and become motivated to work together again. And I mean, I think we know, but still don't everybody knows that only people who feel comfortable can consistently deliver good work. So, yeah.
Dr. Kortni (17:19)
I love this because I love that it brought the group together and everyone felt seen because you decided as a collaborative direction, am I right? That's really powerful in terms of allowing people really to have a voice in projects. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
Ute (17:23)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Yeah, and that's the most important thing.
Dr. Kortni (17:43)
I am am curious about this and is part of the podcast is learning about compassionate newsrooms and what news leaders can do to learn from great trainers like yourself and also being able to incorporate some of the strategies, which I'm loving that that we have the agile methods to also add to that tool kit. I'm curious because I would love to
Ute (18:08)
Mm-hmm.
Dr. Kortni (18:12)
have an understanding of what our industry, how we see compassionate leadership. how do you define it and what does it mean or look like to you
Ute (18:24)
Well, not so easy question. I think, well, sometimes I say that I see modern leadership or compassionate leadership for me as playing the role of a gardener who observes what each individual needs to grow. It's compassionate leadership definitely starts with putting the human being at the center.
Dr. Kortni (18:25)
Hahaha
Hmm.
Ute (18:48)
It's about understanding the strengths and values of each team member and generally getting to know them to ensure they're doing well and can grow. And at the same time, it means showing vulnerability yourself, talking about your own mistakes and sharing what you've learned from them. It also involves trust, trusting your team members and giving them more autonomy as well.
And on the other hand, it's about recognising if someone's behaviour maybe changes and providing a space to talk about it, to talk about challenges, making such conversations a normal part of the workplace. It's about fostering an environment where it's okay to say, I'm not okay. That's what comes to my mind first.
Dr. Kortni (19:31)
Yes.
Absolutely, I love that. It's okay to say I'm not okay. Some of the things I actually talk about a lot in my training sessions. I love that you shared that. It gives that an opportunity to provide support and resources as well. So as we close, and I kind of hate this part, but I do...
because I really enjoy talking to you Ute and I loved how we connected during the summit and the great work that you're doing. You have to come back to share more of the things that are on the horizon. But I'm curious as someone who's led teams and trained others in resilience, what advice you would give to emerging leaders.
Ute (20:04)
I hope you enjoyed.
Dr. Kortni (20:18)
in our industry to help them cultivate resilience
Ute (20:20)
The most important thing is listen to your team.
work with a team together with a team to identify their needs when it comes to mental and physical health especially. Offer workshops but not in a top-down manner, provide the kinds of workshops your employees actually want and need because only then they will be motivated to participate and make these workshops available not just to full-time staff but also to freelancers and students as well.
Make sure that you and your team know that we are not Chat Gpt, we are human beings with emotions and that's good.
Dr. Kortni (20:56)
Earlier, you talked a little bit of soul yourself because you said that...
that news leaders should focus in on workshops that your team needs. How will they be able to do that? What recommendations do you have for them?
Ute (21:10)
My recommendation would be to organize a meeting and not just do a brainstorming but maybe using a liberating structure to find out what each team member needs and then collect the ones that are needed mostly at the moment and work on them together. It's not I decide as a leader that you need workshop x y z or something.
I just asked my team what would help you, what would help you to feel more comfortable, to feel healthier,
Dr. Kortni (21:40)
I love that. I really do, because what it does is allows you to really understand what the needs are, And to really help dive into those needs. I actually trained a media organization and it was interesting because when they asked me to come in to train, they had already surveyed their organization and knew exactly what the team needed or what they were requesting.
and, and also what they would love to see more out of in terms of training, but also culture.
Our last question, what challenges would you like to see in how newsrooms operate?
to better support the mental and emotional wellbeing of journalists.
Ute (22:23)
Can I spread it a bit? Why not in the newsrooms? Because in the newsrooms I would like to see more awareness among leadership about the importance of their employees mental and physical health. They definitely need to take responsibility and ensure proper care for everyone.
Dr. Kortni (22:25)
Yes, please!
Ute (22:41)
But there are also the federations of journalists like DJ Weed, for example, in Germany. And we try to contribute to this with information, events and workshops. But I think it goes far beyond individual organizations.
In my view, the government also has a role to play. So it must take measures to prevent hate and harassment against journalists, ensure that the fundamental right to press freedom is better protected, for example, during demonstrations, and raise awareness of how essential free reporting is for democracy.
Dr. Kortni (23:14)
Absolutely, absolutely. I love that you've included the value and importance of advocacy in that work because that is so, important. Ute, thank you so much. I really am grateful that you were here today. I cannot wait till you come back. And I'm grateful for all the wonderful work that you're doing. Thank you.
Ute (23:31)
haha
Thank you so much. Thank you for inviting me. I think we met. no coincidence. I would be happy to come back. Thanks a lot.
Dr. Kortni (23:42)
Yes. Thank you. Thank
you so much, Ute.
Dr. Kortni (23:48)
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.
