Stress is often treated as an individual problem, even though in many cases it has structural causes. The consequences affect not only individuals, but also teams and organisations, and thus indirectly impact quality, the capacity for innovation and the retention of skilled staff.
In seven round-table discussions with managers, HR professionals and works council members from media organisations, we ask: What causes stress? What support is available? And what structures do newsrooms need to cope better with stress?
The organisation of the round-table discussions and the analysis of the results are supported by the ‘Structural Support Programme for Journalism’ run by the Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media. The findings will be published as a practical guide available for download and will also be incorporated into a handbook, which is expected to be published in spring 2027.
Key details
Project duration: May 2025 – July 2026
Based at: Mindful Media Lab at the Institute for Culture and Media Management, University of Music and Theatre, Hamburg, in cooperation with Netzwerk Recherche e.V.
Project leader: Prof. Dr Barbara Hans
Implementation: Prof. Dr Barbara Hans, Malte Werner, Juliana Ruhfus
