By The Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM), together with the Italian Journalists’ Association (FNSI) and the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS), was cited as an example of good practice in a report by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and The Self-Investigation organization.
The report, titled “Stronger Minds, Stronger Media: Why Protecting Journalists’ Mental Health is Key to the Future of Journalism”, covers 17 organizations from 21 countries. Among other things, it collects examples of good practice, offers recommendations for journalists’ representatives and media organizations, and provides useful resources. The report, authored by Emma Thomason, is based on quantitative and qualitative research conducted mainly in the first half of 2025.
A global snapshot: Concrete causes of stress
The research shows that the issue of mental health had largely been neglected in the journalism sector until recent years. It notes that an increasing number of studies highlight stress caused by highly competitive work environments, the 24-hour news cycle, low salaries, and job insecurity—all of which contribute to mental health problems. These factors often lead to burnout and journalists leaving the profession.
“Journalists are workers who are significantly exposed to stress, burnout, online harassment, digital overload, and long working hours. The imbalance between work and private life has a direct impact on journalists’ health,” emphasized Ricardo Gutiérrez, EFJ General Secretary.
The study also highlights that many journalists already provide informal peer support to one another. However, this support relies on personal initiative and is disproportionately offered by women. The report stresses the importance of involving men—especially those in leadership positions—in discussions on this topic and in taking concrete action.
Montenegro: Support package enabled through external funding
According to the report, in 2022 the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM), with the support of the Fojo Media Institute, established a psychological support service for media workers. After staff training, a psychologist was engaged to help develop a fully functional service. Since then, several workshops have been organized on topics such as stress management, burnout prevention, building trust in newsrooms, and providing basic psychological support.
During these workshops, so-called “contact points” were identified in several newsrooms—individuals responsible for raising awareness about mental health within their media outlets. Two awareness-raising campaigns on the importance of psychological well-being were also conducted, the second of which was supported by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro. The Union also produced the first handbook dedicated to understanding mental health in the media sector.
A regular peer support group met once a month, and members were also given the opportunity for individual therapy sessions with a psychologist. Apart from one person in the office and the psychologist, no one knows who uses the therapy service, as union members often reach out directly and discreetly.
As the next step, the Union plans to establish an SOS hotline dedicated to all types of problems journalists face, including those related to psychological support, as part of the development of a Mechanism for the Protection of Journalists’ Safety. The only challenge remains sustainability, since donors rarely fund such activities. Currently, TUMM receives support from the OSCE.
“Although the topic has become more visible and awareness of its importance is growing, support still remains almost nonexistent. It fully depends on unions and associations and relies on project-based funding,” said Dragana Đokić, psychologist and coordinator of the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro’s support service.
