The Self-Investigation

About the network

The Self-Investigation was created in mid-2020 as a direct response to the rise in mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Media workers, as front-line respondents and key actors for the good functioning of democracies, lacked support and training. In fact, mental health was, and still is in many parts of the world, a taboo in most workplaces.

Registered as a non-profit foundation (Stichting) in The Netherlands since November 2021, The Self-Investigation works globally to prove that a healthier way of working in the media is possible, urgent and makes smart business sense.

Projects

2023 has been an extremely challenging time in the media, and mental health is more important than ever. Here are four things the Self-Investigation team has done in 2023 that have helped move the needle:

Launched the Wellbeing Agents Community in Spanish.
After many conversations with journalists and a lot of thinking, in September they released the Comunidad de Agentes de Bienestar. It is an effort to empower and connect Spanish-speaking journalists so that they can become agents of change in their own communities. As part of this first pilot, 60 journalists from 20 countries are participating.

Trained newsroom and NGO leaders across Europe, Latin America and Asia and grew The Self-Investigation trainer network.
The Self-Investigation’s network of trainers and coaches has grown with fantastic professionals that bring their mental health expertise and journalism experience to the programmes. They’ve supported the organisation’s clients and partners in newsrooms and NGOs large and small in developing their resilience. The trainings, designed for both managers and reporters alike, have covered topics like vicarious trauma and moral injury, developing healthy communications practices and navigating the anxieties that come with covering the climate crisis.

Their impact and vision has been recognised by Ashoka, B-value and IFCN.
In October, co-founder Mar Cabra became an Ashoka Fellow, and in January 2024, the team was awarded by the B-Value accelerator program. They also received support from the International Fact-Checking Network for an upcoming program in 2024. Transforming journalism into a healthy profession is no easy feat. One of the team’s main challenges is the lack of funding for this kind of work and the small budgets most newsrooms have for training. Receiving this financial support has been (and will be) transformative and will help The Self-Investigation increase their impact.

Giving talks and workshops at some of the main industry conferences in Colombia, Italy, Greece and Spain, the United States and, of course, online.

Contact

Website: https://theselfinvestigation.com/
Name: The Self-Investigation
Email: contact@theselfinvestigation.com