Safety and Wellbeing for Content Creators.

This workshop will cover:

Understanding the MediaStrong Newsroom Wellbeing Charter

•     What the Charter is and its key principles.
•     Why newsroom wellbeing is important.
•     The benefits of creating a supportive, healthy and inclusive newsroom culture.

Supporting Newsroom Staff

•     Identifying the supports and resources available to newsroom staff.
•     Recognising the challenges associated with working in a fast-paced, live broadcasting environment.
•     Promoting positive mental health, resilience and peer support.

Managing Psychosocial Risks in Live Radio

•     Understanding the psychological and social risks associated with newsroom work.
•     Exploring practical strategies to manage work-related stress, pressure, exposure to distressing content and other workplace challenges.
•     Identifying ways to build a safer and more supportive working environment.

Practical Implementation of the Charter

•     Translating the Charter’s principles into everyday newsroom practices.
•     Identifying practical steps for managers and newsroom teams.
•     Developing approaches to embed wellbeing into newsroom policies, procedures and workplace culture.

Dr. Leona O'Neill

Director of MediaStrong, Newsroom Wellbeing Consultant. Journalist. Columnist. Former Journalism Course Director at Ulster University. Field Producer - Al Jazeera, Vice, ABC, CBC. Author - Agent Lisa Moylett, CMM London.  Leona is the Founder and Director of MediaStrong, campaigning for better health and well-being in our newsrooms, providing training and resources to help our newsrooms become healthier places to work. She developed the MediaStrong Newsroom Wellbeing Charter in 2025, have designed and delivered newsroom training across the UK, Ireland and internationally, and have designed extensive university curriculum on newsroom mental health..
She a former Director of Journalism at Ulster University and was a journalist in Northern Ireland for 24 years, working as a news and features reporter with the Belfast Telegraph and a broadcast journalist with QRadio. She is currently a weekly columnist with the Irish News and a Field Producer for Vice, Al Jazeera, ABC, CBC and many others worldwide.
In 2021 I co-edited the hugely successful book Breaking: Trauma in the Newsroom alongside the BBC's Chris Lindsay. She is passionate about working with newsrooms worldwide to change toxic cultures and mindsets that prevent journalists from seeking help.

Áine O' Meara

Áine is a former producer now leading Ireland’s national media and mental health programme. She is the creator of the Media Mind Framework. She is a Media Policy Specialist, Multi-Region Field Producer/ Director and MSc of Public Policy. Áine focusses on training journalists and future content creators on responsible reporting and representation of mental health, as well as raising awareness of psychosocial risks for those working in factual programming. Special areas of interest include newsroom culture, media literacy, and public service broadcasting.
She is currently the country administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism in Ireland.
 

Peter McVerry

Peter is the Group Editor at Onic News.  He is the former station manager and executive director at U105 a position he held from 2008 until 2026. Previous to that he worked as a print journalist for The Irish News and Belfast Telegraph for a combined total of 4 years. He joined UTV Media plc in 2000 to edit their website, u.tv, and then progressed into television and content production before joining U105 as Editor, Speech on its launch in late 2005. He then assumed responsibility for the station overall in the spring of 2008.