Editor’s Note: The National Press Club Journalism Institute is committed to providing journalists resources and connections that support their personal and professional lives. Continuing in 2026, we are collaborating with several groups to widen those networks of support.
Last month, the Journalists Recovery Network had a lot of gratifying moments as we continue our work to support journalists in recovery from alcohol and substances.
We were fortunate to speak at the Canadian Association of Journalists conference in Ottawa, and then turn around to attend the IRE conference in Washington D.C. the next week.
Those conferences not only helped us spread our message and continued efforts to elevate recovering journalists, but learn more about the needs of the population we serve.
We were thrilled to see a significant number of mental health sessions at the Canadian conference, as well as multiple non-drinking options for networking at IRE.
I was deeply moved by the folks who attended our session and spaces during both conferences, and reminded why our work is critical in the current state of journalism.
Recovering journalists still need our support in conference spaces, navigating source relationships in sobriety, and overall knowledge that other sober journalists are out there.
Finally — once I returned from the conference — I arrived home to a letter that confirmed the Journalists Recovery Network is a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Because of this, we are now able to apply (and hopefully accept) grant funds and donations.
If you want to support our group with a donation, or want to help continue our mission, please reach out at [email protected]. Thank you for your continued support!
Tags: Self-care