ONA26 Unconference - Session 6: Still Here, Still Leading: Why Asking for Help Matters in Journalism

Speaker: Luisa Ortiz Pérez, Vita-Activa

Journalism is in crisis yet many journalists are still here. This unconference session invites a peer-driven conversation about **why we stay** and why **asking for help is a form of leadership**, not weakness. Drawing on insights from *Stay Tuned* (MDRnet, 2026), we’ll explore how fear, professional identity, and constant uncertainty shape our choices and how breaking the silence around mental health can strengthen both individuals and newsrooms. Together, we’ll reflect on what it takes to lead with care, normalize support, and build more resilient cultures leaving with shared language, community, and practical ways to make asking for help part of how journalism survives and evolves.

Unconference sessions are attendee-generated and voted-upon programming that are less formal and require less planning than traditional conference offerings. Running in sequential hour blocks from 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM and 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM on Wednesday, April 1, these open-source concepts will close the ONA26 conference.