ICSJ

20/03/2026

Bearing Witness: Trauma and Resilience in Modern Journalism

A moment captured at the close of the 3rd Annual International Conference on Journalist Safety. Two days of meaningful dialogue, shared expertise, and a collective commitment to a safer and more trauma-informed media landscape.

Our sincere gratitude to every participant who contributed to this conversation. Your presence made all the difference.

The International Training Center for the Safety of Journalists and Media Professionals (ICSJ), under the scientific responsibility of the Peace Journalism Laboratory of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, remains committed to advancing this work through specialized training, research, and support for journalists in war zones and crisis environments.

Photo Credit: Giannis Triantafyllidis

20/03/2026

Day 2 | Bearing Witness: Trauma and Resilience in Modern Journalism

The second day of the 3rd Annual International Conference on Journalist Safety deepened the conversations that began yesterday, pushing into the harder questions around how newsrooms protect their people, how trauma-informed practice becomes standard and not exception, and how the industry sustains those who carry the weight of bearing witness every day.

From the sessions, one thing became evident: this work is long, it is collective, and it is urgent.

We would like to thank every journalist, mental health professional, academic, and media ethicist who joined us across these two days. Your presence, your honesty, and your commitment to this conversation made all the difference.

The conversation does not end here. It continues through the International Training Center for the Safety of Journalists and Media Professionals (ICSJ), dedicated to specialized training, research, and building support networks for journalists operating in war zones and crisis environments, under the scientific responsibility of the Peace Journalism Laboratory of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Photo Credits: Giannis Triantafyllidis
📍Capsis Hotel Thessaloniki, Greece

19/03/2026

Day 1 | Bearing Witness: Trauma and Resilience in Modern Journalism

Today marked the opening of the 3rd Annual International Conference on Journalist Safety — a gathering that brings together journalists, mental health professionals, academics, and media ethicists united by a shared commitment to transforming how our industry engages with trauma.

From the first sessions, one truth resonated clearly: the cost of bearing witness is real, and our responsibility to those who report and those who are reported on demands both courage and care.
We explored the psychological toll of frontline journalism, the ethical imperatives of trauma-informed reporting, and the frameworks that can help build lasting resilience within newsrooms and beyond.

The conversation has only just begun.

Photos: Giannis Triantafyllidis
📍Capsis Hotel Thessaloniki, Greece

18/03/2026

Lefteris Pitarakis is a photojournalist and videojournalist for The Associated Press.
He started his photojournalism career in 1995 in the Greek capital and joined the AP in 1998. Following several years of covering Greece and the Balkans, he was assigned to AP’s Middle East operations. From 2000 to 2005, he mainly documented the Palestinian uprising against Israel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and also extensively covered the greater region. Additionally, he chronicled stories of conflict in Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, Libya and Pakistan and the aftermath of the U.S. - led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
From the Middle East he moved to London, where he was based from 2005 to 2015 covering the United Kingdom, Europe and Africa while continuing to travel to the Middle East on multiple assignments.
From 2015 to 2021 he was the AP Chief Photographer, Turkey, based in Istanbul, covering also stories in Syria.
He returns to Greece in 2021 as a video journalist for the Associated Press bureau in Athens, where he covers stories in the country and in the broader region.
He has received various awards for his work and his coverage of the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon was part of a group of AP photographers who were finalists for that year’s Pulitzer Prize. His work has been published in major international publications and online media and has been exhibited throughout Europe and the United States. He holds an MA Photojournalism from the University of Westminster and he is a founding member and curator to the annual Athens Photo World festival, the first festival in Greece dedicated to photojournalism.
A strong advocate of ethics in photojournalism, he regularly presents his work and lectures about the value of ethics and also psychological trauma to journalists to university students and conferences throughout the U.K., U.S. and Europe.

18/03/2026

Dimitra Tomprou is a Senior Civil Servant at the National Centre for Public Administration and Local Government (EKDDA). She also serves as Scientific Advisor to the Secretary General for Communication and Information (GSCI) and as a Policy Expert at the European Public Law Organization (EPLO). She is a graduate of the National School of Public Administration and Local Government (ESDDA), holds a degree in Political Science from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and a Master's degree in Public Administration from the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB).

16/03/2026

Media researcher with professional experience in refugee inclusion and integration initiatives in Greece. Her academic background includes a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Journalism and Digital Media from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, specialising in risk communication and crisis journalism. Over the past eight years, her work within humanitarian organizations involved close collaboration with NGO communication teams while contributing to initiatives that support refugee inclusion, community engagement, and public communication around migration.
Working alongside humanitarian professionals working with refugee communities has brought her into direct contact with the ethical and practical challenges that arise when vulnerable populations become subjects of public narratives. This experience connects closely with her engagement in questions of how journalism bears witness to trauma and how ethical responsibility is negotiated when vulnerable groups become subjects of public narratives, particularly in coverage involving refugee children.
Her current work examines how journalism bears witness to trauma in migration contexts and how ethical responsibility can be shared across journalists, humanitarian actors, and legal professionals. A particular focus is placed on media representations of refugee children and on how responsible reporting can balance the need for public awareness with the protection of those represented.

13/03/2026

Dr. Anna G. Orfanidou is an Assistant Professor at the University of York Europe Campus (Journalism/Communication). She is Researcher at the International Peace Journalism Laboratory and member of the Digital Communication Network Global. Her research focuses on Media Literacy and News Consumption in New Platform Era. She has presented her work at numerous international conferences and has published seven articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Native Greek speaker, fluent in English, German, French, Spanish, Turkish. She was awarded her doctoral degree with distinction (Excellent) from the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications, School of Economic and Political Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She is an active journalist, holds a weekly column at TheOpinion.gr and she is member of the Journalists’ Union of Macedonia-Thrace Daily Newspapers.

13/03/2026

13/03/2026

Meet the speakers of the 3rd Annual International Conference on Journalist Safety, “Bearing Witness: Trauma and Resilience in Modern Journalism.”

The conference brings together journalists, academics, mental health professionals, and media ethicists to examine the intersection of trauma and journalism, exploring practical, ethical, and theoretical approaches to reporting on sensitive issues while prioritizing the wellbeing of both the subjects of the news and the journalists themselves.

The goal is to foster a dialogue that moves beyond awareness toward actionable strategies for building resilience, promoting ethical practice, and creating a more trauma informed media landscape.

13/03/2026

The Safety for Journalists Training School brings together experienced professionals working at the intersection of journalism, safety, and field reporting.

From 16–18 March 2026, participants will engage with trainers who combine practical experience with structured guidance, focusing on preparation, decision making under pressure, and responsible reporting in demanding environments.

Τhe training will explore real scenarios and professional practices that support journalists before entering high risk assignments.

02/03/2026

As part of the Safety for Journalists Training School, all trainees receive complimentary registration to the conference “Bearing Witness: Trauma and Resilience in Modern Journalism”, taking place in Thessaloniki on 19–20 March 2026.
This provides participants with the opportunity to engage in wider dialogue on journalist safety, connect with leading journalists, security experts, and media professionals from around the world, and further deepen their understanding of resilience and ethical reporting.
📍 Thessaloniki, Greece
📅 19–20 March 2026
➡️ Apply now: https://icsj.net/index.php/el/training-school

26/02/2026

Medical preparedness is a critical component of safety in the field.

The Safety for Journalists Training School, organised by the International Centre for the Safety of Journalists and Media Professionals (ICSJ), includes a hands on session on medical care in hostile environments, equipping participants with practical first aid knowledge for dangerous and unpredictable situations.
Participants are trained to provide first aid both to others and to themselves, developing essential skills that can prove critical when operating in high risk environments.
📍 Kilkis, Greece
📅 16–18 March 2026
🗓 Application deadline: 6 March 2026
➡️ Apply now: https://icsj.net/index.php/el/training-school