Israel-Hamas War Therapy Relief Fund

As we see over and over again, journalists reporting on national and international crises are thrown onto the field with few tools for managing their mental health in the short term and little support from their employers for avoiding burnout and lasting PTSD. With the crisis in the Middle East, it's no different. Despite the demand for therapy funding we witnessed first with the Black Journalists Therapy Relief Fund and then the AAPI Mental Health Fund, newsrooms have done little to improve accessibility to mental health treatment for staffers and freelancers.

Articles for journalists about staying safe and resilient through trauma suggest finding hobbies, talking to a therapist, exercising, taking breaks from the internet, and spending time with loved ones.

While useful tips, they ignore the reality that reporters do not have the luxury of logging off at 5pm and turning their brains off along with their computer screens. Nor do they suggest how journalists can afford mental health treatment if it's not covered by their employers. The average cost of therapy per hour for someone who does not have insurance falls between $138-$300. On the high end, that comes to $15,000/year (assuming they do one per week for 50 weeks). That's a massive imposition to put on anyone, and does not even begin to include the cost of medications, psychiatry appointments, and alternative forms of mental health treatment.

If newsrooms aren't going to provide the resources journalists need to survive through times of crisis, then we as a community need to step in and support each other.

This fund is devoted to providing financial aid for mental health treatment to journalists reporting on the crisis in the Middle East as well as journalists living in the Middle East regardless of their beat.

As of now, the fund will be managed by me, Sonia Weiser. Hopefully, I will be partnering with a nonprofit soon to manage donations and allow for tax deductible contributions.

To apply for funding, fill out this form. I will distribute funds as quickly as possible.

Links to articles included in the header image:

‘Distressed’ BBC staff get mental health support over Israel-Hamas war (The Observer, BBC. Tara Conlan, October 22, 2023)

We need to protect the safety and mental health of journalists covering Israel-Hamas war (Journalism.co.uk. Hannah Storm, October 24, 2023)

Talking TV: Tackling Journalism’s Mental Health Crisis. Interview with CBC's Dave Seglins (TVNewsCheck. Michael Depp, October 13, 2023)

TV War Reporter Trey Yingst Reveals What It’s Like to Cover Conflict on the Ground: “I’ll Process This When I Have Time” (The Healthy. Laura Lane, October 25, 2023)

The Middle East crisis is stirring up a 'tsunami' of mental health woes (NPR. Rhitu Chatterjee, October 25, 2023)

Prioritizing mental health in the newsroom: 5 tips to get you started. Panel Discussion moderated by Naseem S. Miller (The Journalist's Resource. January 20, 2023)

Sky News chief Levy says news leaders must be more sensitive to staff mental health (Press Gazette. Charlotte Tobitt, October 10, 2023)

How Coverage of Middle East Conflict Impacts Journalists (Republished from Poynter (with an alternate title) by The Radio Television Digital News Association. See link below)

Journalists, nonstop coverage of war and violence affects your mental health (Poynter. Al Tompkins, October 14, 2023)

Predictors of psychological distress in frontline journalists (Reuters Institute. Dr Anthony Feinstein and Laura Dulce Romero, October 18, 2023)

Journalists need support and self-care when reporting on trauma (Association of Health Care Journalists. Tara Haelle, March 17, 2023)