Informed Reporting
Claim This Podcastby Dr. Gretchen Hoak | Specialist in Journalist Wellbeing
Podcast Overview
<p>Listen each week as Dr. Gretchen Hoak, former TV journalist, researcher, and professor, talks with other researchers, working journalists, and newsroom managers about mental health, newsroom culture, and journalist wellbeing. This podcast connects the real world with what academic research shows about life as a journalist and the toll the stress can take. From local journalist to national correspondent, we talk about the consequences of covering the trauma that makes the headlines and leads the newscasts. If you want to join the conversation and learn about how we can use research to make the news industry better and keep good journalists in the field where we need them, then this podcast is for you. Follow us on Instagram @informedreportingpodcast, or email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:informedreportingpodcast@gmail.com" target="_blank">informedreportingpodcast@gmail.com</a>.</p>
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Publishing Since
2/24/2026
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Recent Episodes
July 6, 2026
"It's Trauma Season" with Dr. Sharon Smith
<p><b>Description: <br /></b>In Australia, it’s summer as Christmas and New Years approach, which means everyone is on holiday at a time when disaster is most likely to strike. In this episode, Dr. Sharon Smith talks about her article, “It’s Trauma Season” that explored Australian journalists’ exposure to trauma at this crucial time of low staffing and high probabilities for extreme weather. With 30 years’ experience as a journalist, Dr. Smith talks about her own career and exposure to traumatic events, as well as emotional labor, objectivity, and tips for both newsroom managers and journalists.</p><p></p><p><b>Chapters</b></p><p>00:00 Opening</p><p>00:48 Introduction</p><p>01:09 Sharon's Career in Journalism</p><p>02:03 Transitioning to Academia</p><p>02:50 Research Focus</p><p>05:27 "It's Trauma Season"</p><p>09:05 Low Staffing during High Trauma Times</p><p>10:20 Covering Disasters in your Community</p><p>13:49 How the Study was Conducted</p><p>16:37 Australian vs. American Journalism</p><p>18:42 The Ambiguity of Objectivity</p><p>22:49 Understanding Emotional Labor in Journalism</p><p>24:53 Defining Emotional Labor</p><p>28:19 Compartmentalization and Its Effects</p><p>32:30 Navigating Emotional Responses in Interviews</p><p>35:47 Tips for Newsroom Managers</p><p>39:43 Journalists Put the Work First</p><p>41:20 Tips for Journalists</p><p>42:54 Building Trauma Awareness</p><p>44:46 Rethinking Objectivity and Impartiality</p><p>49:44 Balancing the Impact of Connection</p><p>53:01 Conclusion</p><p>53:19 Closing</p><p></p><p><b>Show Notes</b></p><p>Dr. Sharon Smith on LinkedIn:<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-smith-9b709519/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-smith-9b709519/</a></p><p>“It’s Trauma Season” by Dr. Sharon Smith</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2026.2668383" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2026.2668383</a></p>
June 30, 2026
"Keeping Good People in the Field" with Samantha Ragland
<p><b>Description: <br /></b>Sam Ragland from the American Press Institute is about as passionate as you can get about keeping journalists healthy. In this episode, we talk about her own journey with trauma and burnout and how it fueled her fire for teaching journalists and newsroom leaders how to be more resilient. From the right newsroom, to the right people, to the right language, we dig in on burnout, culture, and hope for the future. </p><p></p><p><b>Chapters</b></p><p>00:00 Opening</p><p>00:42 Introduction</p><p>02:48 Shifting Focus to Trauma</p><p>05:36 Personal Experience with News and Mental Health</p><p>10:45 Addressing Burnout</p><p>12:05 Learning the Right Vocabulary</p><p>13:28 Being our Brother's Keeper</p><p>15:01 Her Series on Identifying and Managing Burnout</p><p>18:10 Tiny Betrayals</p><p>21:00 Burnout Cannot be Solved with Better Self-Care</p><p>24:01 Perpetuating Culture</p><p>26:47 Trauma Informed Leadership</p><p>30:20 The Pros and Cons of Gens Z and Alpha</p><p>32:18 Building Resilience in Journalism Education</p><p>34:50 The Importance of Debriefing in Journalism</p><p>38:16 Keeping Good Journalists in Journalism</p><p>40:28 Processing Hardship Individually</p><p>43:18 Barriers to Mental Health Awareness in Newsrooms</p><p>46:56 Slow but Noticeable Change</p><p>48:15 Empowering Young Journalists to Find the Right Newsroom</p><p>51:30 The Trust Economy</p><p>52:44 Other API Resources</p><p>54:10 Finding your People</p><p>56:38 Shout out to Shadow Text</p><p>59:32 The Power of Connection</p><p>01:00:47 Conclusion</p><p>01:01:04 Closing</p><p><b> </b></p><p><b>Show notes:</b></p><p>Samantha Ragland on LinkedIn<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantharagland/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantharagland/</a></p><p>Palm Beach Post<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.palmbeachpost.com/" target="_blank">https://www.palmbeachpost.com/</a></p><p>Poynter<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.poynter.org/" target="_blank">https://www.poynter.org/</a></p><p> American Press Institute<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://americanpressinstitute.org/" target="_blank">https://americanpressinstitute.org/</a></p><p> API – Navigating Burnout as a Journalist<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://americanpressinstitute.org/navigating-burnout-as-a-journalist/" target="_blank">https://americanpressinstitute.org/navigating-burnout-as-a-journalist/</a></p><p>Mental Health in Journalism Summit 2026<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.theselfinvestigation.com/summit/" target="_blank">https://www.theselfinvestigation.com/summit/</a></p><p>Media Resilience Network<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://mdrnet.org/" target="_blank">https://mdrnet.org/</a><br /><i><br />What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience and Healing </i>by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrew<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.bdperry.com/" target="_blank">https://www.bdperry.com/</a></p>
June 22, 2026
"Navigating Identity in Broadcast News" with Dr. Kris Vera-Phillips
<p><b>Description<br /></b>Journalism can sometimes be a difficult job, but what makes it difficult can differ widely depending on who you are. On this episode, I talk with Dr. Kris Vera-Phillips about her recently published article, “Don’t Risk Your Life’: How BIPOC Journalists Navigate Identity, Newsroom Routines, and Safety in U.S. Broadcast News,” which was published in <i>Journalism and Media </i>in March 2026. Vera-Phillips is a former broadcast producer who studies the differing experiences of minority journalists. We talk about her findings and what they mean for transforming newsrooms to be more supportive places for all journalists, including minority ones.</p><p><b> </b></p><p><b>Chapters</b></p><p>00:00 Opening</p><p>01:11 Introduction and Journey into Journalism</p><p>06:51 Transition to Academia</p><p>10:27 Her Research on BIPOC Journalists</p><p>13:15 Digging into Her Study: Don't Risk Your Life</p><p>15:13 Journalists Rewarded for Willingness to Absorb Risk</p><p>19:46 The Burden of Safety is on the Journalist</p><p>21:28 Specific Challenges for Journalists of Color</p><p>22:34 Mental Health and Support in Journalism</p><p>25:05 Building Resilience</p><p>27:13 Dealing with Racialized Attacks</p><p>33:04 Differences in Expectations Between Journalists and Management</p><p>36:32 Reimagining Newsrooms</p><p>41:02 Other Research in the Works</p><p>42:47 Conclusion</p><p>43:02 Closing</p><p><b> </b></p><p><b>Show Notes</b></p><p>Learn more about Dr. Kris Vera-Phillips here:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisvp/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisvp/</a></p><p>Southern Methodist University, Meadows School of the Arts<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.smu.edu/meadows" target="_blank">https://www.smu.edu/meadows</a></p><p>Access Dr. Vera-Phillips article here: <br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5172/7/1/64" target="_blank">https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5172/7/1/64</a></p><p>Other elements mentioned during the show:</p><p>Medill School of Journalism: <br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.medill.northwestern.edu/" target="_blank">https://www.medill.northwestern.edu/</a></p><p>Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://cronkite.asu.edu/" target="_blank">https://cronkite.asu.edu/</a></p><p>Next Generation Fellowship (NPR)</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://nextgenradio.org/" target="_blank">https://nextgenradio.org/</a><br />PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://studentreportinglabs.org/" target="_blank">https://studentreportinglabs.org/</a></p><p> </p>
18 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Informed Reporting?
<p>Listen each week as Dr. Gretchen Hoak, former TV journalist, researcher, and professor, talks with other researchers, working journalists, and newsroom managers about mental health, newsroom culture, and journalist wellbeing. This podcast connects the real world with what academic research shows about life as a journalist and the toll the stress can take. From local journalist to national correspondent, we talk about the consequences of covering the trauma that makes the headlines and leads the newscasts. If you want to join the conversation and learn about how we can use research to make the news industry better and keep good journalists in the field where we need them, then this podcast is for you. Follow us on Instagram @informedreportingpodcast, or email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:informedreportingpodcast@gmail.com" target="_blank">informedreportingpodcast@gmail.com</a>.</p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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