By Building mutual trust is the foundation of psychological safety for employees in media organizations. Creating a work environment that supports open communication and mutual respect ensures not only the individual well-being of employees but also the long-term quality of media reporting.
This message was conveyed during the two-day training “Building Trust in the Media: Psychological Safety and Practical Guidelines,” organized by the Media Union of Montenegro (SMCG) on October 12th and 13th at the Palas Hotel.
Photo: TUMM
The training was led by Dragana Đokić, head of the Psychological Safety Service within the Media Union of Montenegro. She spoke with participants about the psychological aspects of trust, understanding oneself and others, and communication as the basis of trust and teamwork collaboration.
It was emphasized that for media workers, who are often under significant pressure and frequently face crisis situations, it is crucial to have psychological safety in the sense of feeling free and trusting within the team. In such an environment, each member can openly express their ideas, opinions, and concerns without fear of judgment or negative consequences.
On the other hand, a lack of psychological safety typically leads to high levels of stress, burnout, and poor performance, which directly affects the quality of media content.
Photo: TUMM
The workshop participants had the opportunity, through interactive sessions and discussions, to learn how to better manage stress and maintain their psychological safety during crisis situations. Practical guidelines were also provided to help them in their daily work.
In addition to numerous practical exercises that taught participants how to recognize and overcome emotional and communication barriers in a professional setting, a self-support group was organized. Through this group, participants were able to share the problems they face and receive practical solutions from Đokić and their colleagues.
The training was organized as part of the project “Increasing the Capacities of Media Actors to Mitigate the Safety Risks for Journalists,” funded by the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro.
