2026-01-13 16:56:36
Newsrooms and humanitarian organizations have something in common: staff rarely join for the paycheck. They commit to demanding, sometimes dangerous work, usually for less pay than they could earn elsewhere. They put up with difficult hours, high stakes, and emotional strain, often because they are motivated by a desire to contribute to a broader social mission.
For journalists, that mission is to provide the public with reliable information about what is happening in the world. For NGOs like Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF), it’s to provide urgent medical care to people in crisis. In both cases, that dynamic poses a particular set of challenges for those steering the ship.
Dr Natalie Roberts is the executive director of MSF UK. She joined the organization in 2012 after working as an emergency doctor in Britain’s NHS, and has since coordinated operations in conflict and crisis zones across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, including in Syria, Yemen, Ukraine, Pakistan, the Philippines, Ethiopia, and the Central African Republic. In 2016, she became Head of Emergency Operations for MSF in Paris, overseeing MSF’s emergency response programmes worldwide. She was named executive director of the UK branch in 2022.
I spoke with Roberts about what it takes to run a mission-based organization, and what newsroom leaders can learn from her experience.
One reality of running a mission-based organization is that while the broader purpose may be inspiring, much of the daily work is not. Like all organizations, these places depend on a healthy dose of administrative, procedural, and logistical tasks that are often a bit mundane.
“People often join the organization because they believe in our social mission,” Roberts says. “But if you’re running a humanitarian operation, the reality is that there’s a huge amount of day-to-day bureaucracy that needs to be done — stuff that seems quite boring, but is essential because the risks are particularly high in this work,” she says, referring to the safety protocols for staff and patients, and the careful oversight of donated funds needed to avoid risk of fraud or mismanagement of finances.
“That means that I actually need people on the team who are quite pedantic about the details.”
Roberts notes that new recruits often arrive with a “save the world” vision and find themselves discouraged within a few months, when the reality of their role turns out to be largely administrative.
“The way I’ve found to get people through that dip is to actively talk about the social mission, a lot,” she says. “But talking about the general mission isn’t enough. You also need to make sure you are linking everybody’s specific job to that mission, so everyone can see how they have their role within that.”
What you don’t want, she says, is a dynamic where there are “the special people” — in MSF’s case, the doctors on the frontlines, and in newsrooms’ cases, the star correspondents or investigative reporters — who are “out there” doing the “real work”, while those in more administrative or support roles are treated as an afterthought, even if unintentionally or subconsciously. In MSF’s case, those support roles might be teams in fundraising or logistics, while in a newsroom, it might be those working in copyediting, distribution, or fact-checking.
To counter this, Roberts makes sure that “people get regular updates about MSF’s impact, and that all the managers at different levels of the organization translate that impact to their specific teams’ work.”
In both humanitarian work and journalism, another risk is that the mission starts to blur the line between personal and professional responsibility. Roberts is clear about the importance of work-life balance in this context, just like in any other organization.
“It’s important to be clear that despite the mission, it is also just a job, whether you’re at a desk in London or operating in the field in the Central African Republic. Everybody is paid a salary – it’s not the best salary in the world, but everyone is paid to do a job, just like any other job,” Roberts says. “We therefore expect a certain level of performance, but as employers we also have a responsibility to make sure our staff are able to disconnect at the end of the working day — and that should be true no matter how stressful the situation you are working in is.”
Dr Natalie Roberts. Image: Screenshot / MSF
As the executive director, she emphasizes that part of her role is to set that culture from the top. “Of course, I can’t be the one saying ‘Okay, you should go home now’ to every individual person at their desk. But I have to set that culture — and I also then need to make sure that there are structures in place to allow it to actually happen, which are respected all the way through the managerial line.”
Here, she cites MSF’s increasing focus on vicarious trauma training, and newly instated compulsory team sessions after particularly distressing events, like the death of a board member in Gaza last year. “It’s part of creating that culture where it’s not a shameful thing to say you feel upset.”
She also makes it clear that you don’t have to be working as a surgeon on the frontlines to want a break from the stress of the job: “People [in the London office] can sometimes feel guilty about saying, ‘I’ve got to go and pick up my kids from school now,’ or complaining about working on a bank holiday, while knowing that others are living through trauma,” she explains. “So you have to be super explicit at the top level that anyone can feel [that they need to disconnect] at times, regardless of what role they’re in.”
Roberts also points out that being attuned to boundaries is important not just for staff, but for leaders themselves. “When I first came into this role, my colleagues from previous roles would still be contacting me and expecting me to be able to do something about a problem they were facing now that I was the director.”
She quickly realised this was unsustainable. “I try to make sure that I’m directing them to the right place, rather than me taking it all on myself, because actually, that makes the problem worse. If I’m taking on every individual problem, then I won’t be able to raise my head above water to get that temperature check of what’s going on in the organization as a whole.”
Roberts notes how she has seen leaders who become enmeshed in every individual detail lose the wider perspective needed to steer the organization as a whole. “You have to set boundaries. It’s the only way you can have any longevity as a leader.”
She contrasts this with her previous role as head of emergencies at MSF, where being on call 24 hours a day was inherent to the role: “I don’t know anybody who’s managed to do that job for more than three years, at least not without some long breaks built in,” she says.
At the same time, she notes that leaders can’t retreat too far from the frontline either.
“As the director, part of my job is to understand what MSF’s social mission is and should be today. I do that by receiving debriefings from my teams, attending meetings, and visiting sites — because sometimes you can’t really understand a situation from a bullet point summary,” she says. “It can be really difficult to fit that in with the fact that I also need to attend regular board meetings, run management team meetings, and speak to the press, but it’s important to keep that connection to the fieldwork.”
One solution she has found has been creating a Deputy role to her position, a role which didn’t exist before her leadership. “It means she can step in when I am away, which allows me to spend time on the broader things outside of the day-to-day business.”
The relationship does require some work and intentional communication to make sure both of them are in step with each other, and Roberts emphasises that mutual trust is required to make it work: “I trust the decisions she makes while I am away, and it’s also important that when I come back, I support her decisions, rather than going, “I wouldn’t have done it quite that way.”
Another delegation initiative that MSF UK has launched under Roberts’ leadership is the Staff Forum, a mechanism where staff get together to raise concerns about workplace problems, and, crucially, to collectively propose solutions to those problems. A member of the leadership team attends to listen, but does not propose solutions; the staff instead identify potential actions themselves, and highlight where they might need the management’s support to implement those.
“It’s still in its early days, but it’s been a good way of creating a culture where people try to identify solutions as a team, rather than escalating every problem upwards.”
Perhaps Roberts’ most transferable lesson for newsroom leaders comes from her reflections on leadership skills more generally: “The classic path at MSF is that you arrive as a medical doctor and if you’re good at that, or if you work in dangerous places, then you’ll get promoted. And then all of a sudden, your job is a lot of management and admin and budgets, which nobody ever taught you to do.”
The risk is that “you could be an amazing doctor, but if you don’t learn the skills of leadership, it’s difficult to do the job [of management and leadership] well.”
In newsrooms, the same pattern often plays out: Talented reporters are promoted into management roles with little preparation for the very different skillset required.
Roberts’ advice for those who find themselves newly (or not) in leadership roles? “Embrace some of the managerial culture that exists outside in other organizations — and recognize what you don’t know.”
This article was first published by the Reuters Institute at the University of Oxford. It is republished with permission.
Priscille Biehlmann is the content editor for the Reuters Institute’s Newsroom Leadership programmes, where she is responsible for drafting course material, helping with the design and delivery of courses, and reporting on leadership in journalism. Prior to joining the Institute, she worked in academic publishing on media and journalism textbooks, and as a science and culture journalist.
2026-01-12 16:00:18
Following the 2024 uprising and the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, an interim administration assumed power in Bangladesh. Nevertheless, attacks on the press continued, as two of the country’s journalists were killed in 2025, and at least 297 journalists were charged with crimes such as murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, and terrorism. Additionally, at least 24 journalists have been jailed, with five still detained.
In the final month of 2025, in a brazen assault, the head offices of Prothom Alo and Daily Star, two of Bangladesh’s most influential media outlets, were vandalized and set on fire. As a result of the damage, the two newspapers were unable to publish on December 19. This marked the first time in the history of the two newspapers that they failed to publish a daily edition.
A Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) report stated that influential government and political figures have pressured at least 20 senior media professionals, including editors and news leaders, to change roles, resign, or face dismissal. Several outlets have also experienced layoffs.
Despite these ongoing pressures, no media institutions have been closed during this period. In fact, several outlets that shut down under the previous government are now awaiting approval to resume operations.
As of 2025, Bangladesh ranked 149th out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Free Press Index, a slight improvement from 165th in 2024.
However, media ownership in Bangladesh remains concentrated among pro-government business groups, who often limit investigative journalism. Public trust in mainstream media has decreased. According to RSF, internet-based media are playing an increasingly significant role in news dissemination.
To address these challenges, the interim government established a Media Reform Commission to bolster press freedom, but its recommendations have yet to be implemented.
Amid these developments, international media have published several high-quality investigative reports on Bangladesh, holding the government and powerful actors accountable. Meanwhile, Bangladeshi journalists have made notable efforts to challenge authority, reporting on corruption, human rights violations, trafficking, and irregularities in agriculture, the environment, and the energy sector.
A student-led protest against the Bangladeshi government in the summer of 2024. At several demonstrations throughout the summer, students were gunned down by police. Image: Shutterstock
A joint BBC and BBC Bangla investigation revealed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina personally authorized lethal force to suppress anti-government demonstrations last year. The BBC, after reviewing a leaked audio recording, reported that Hasina ordered security forces to “shoot protesters wherever they find them.”
According to a UN investigation, at least 1,400 people lost their lives in the protests and violence during July and August 2024. The international tribunal set up to try crimes against humanity in Bangladesh has already sentenced the former prime minister and home minister for the July-August 2024 killings.
In their defense, the prime minister’s party leaders stated that the leaked audio recording “does not reflect any illegal intentions on the part of Sheikh Hasina.”
The BBC report stated the leaked audio was recorded on July 18 at the then-prime minister’s official residence. BBC audio forensic experts verified its authenticity, found no evidence of editing, and concluded that fabrication was highly unlikely.
Image: Screenshot, The Daily Star
According to an investigation by The Daily Star, between 2016 and early 2025, the Bangladesh government acquired systems capable of tapping phones, tracking locations, and monitoring thousands of communications from a central command center.
The newspaper reported that the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and the National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre (NTMC) jointly purchased surveillance equipment to develop a nationwide platform that monitors, analyzes, and stores large volumes of internet and telecommunications data from all citizens, creating a real-time central surveillance system for multiple agencies.
In addition, RAB and the police acquired devices for targeted eavesdropping, mobile phone and vehicle jammers, and GPS trackers.
While The Daily Star report noted that this equipment can help prevent crime, gather intelligence, and address national security threats, it found experts who warned that, without transparency, it could also be used to suppress political opponents and monitor ordinary citizens.
Image: Screenshot, Netra News
Netra News recently reported on ongoing military operations against the Bawm community in the Bandarban District. Since 2022, 19 members of this ethnic community in the Chittagong Hill Tracts have been killed and 59 detained without trial, drawing attention from human rights organizations and raising concerns about civil rights violations. The report highlighted security force actions and deprivation of rights inflicted upon the Bawm people.
Netra News also found that 11 Bawm women have been imprisoned for more than a year as of 2025 and cited an Amnesty International report that identified at least 30 Bawm women and children who had been arrested during military operations from April 2024 to May 2025, including an eight-month pregnant woman.
The report documented how the movement and livelihood of the Bawm people have been restricted under the banner of conducting operations against a designated terrorist group founded by a member of the Bawm community. Residents now require army permission to visit markets, and six Bawm neighbourhoods are deserted.
Image: Screenshot, Star News, YouTube
Numerous allegations of abductions and disappearances have been made against various law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh. From 2009 to 2024, nearly 1,900 people have been reported missing, and the fate of approximately 350 of these individuals remains unknown.
The Star News TV channel investigated the fate of these missing individuals, and its reporting alleged that many victims were killed, and their bodies disposed of in the Bay of Bengal to avoid detection.
Star News’ investigation included accounts from eyewitnesses, trawler drivers, survivors, and sources within the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). These sources identified some officials involved in disposing of bodies after killings, reporting that between one and nine people were killed at a time and that approximately 200 bodies have disappeared in this area.
Image: Screenshot, Prothom Alo
Just 20 years ago, the island of Sandwip’s sweet potatoes were in high demand across the country. However, sweet potatoes are no longer able to be cultivated on Sandwip. In addition, crops like sesame, chilli, potato, watermelon, and winter vegetables have disappeared from this fertile alluvial island — and rice is now only grown four months of the year.
An investigation by Prothom Alo identified seven main reasons for Sandwip’s agricultural decline: extreme heat, increased soil and water salinity, lack of freshwater for irrigation, irregular rainfall, prolonged drought, frequent storms and floods, and emerging diseases and pests. Each factor is linked to climate change.
Prothom Alo also surveyed local farmers and consulted agricultural, climate, and government experts. The team found that farming has declined by 20% over the past 20 years, forcing many farmers to change professions.
Image: Screenshot, Rest of World
Smart monitoring and automation are rapidly expanding in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry, leading Dhaka factories to deploy devices to digitally monitor sewing speeds for targets and productivity gains.
This report by the Rest of the World dug into the negative effects of digitalization and automation in the Bangladeshi garment sector. The new tracking technology has increased stress and anxiety, particularly among female workers, and has led to job losses. Workers report that failing to keep pace with machines puts their jobs at risk, and the pressure is so intense that many cannot take breaks.
Although factories have adopted these technologies to boost production, workers’ incomes have not increased proportionally; any wage gains have resulted mainly from labor organizing.
Image: Screenshot, The Daily Star
A cement production complex at the Dhaleswari and Shitalakshya estuaries in Munshiganj has occupied parts of both rivers, significantly disrupting natural flow and the ecosystem, according to four government reports revealed by The Daily Star. While the cement company has denied any illegal encroachment, it declined to provide proof of land ownership on either side of the rivers.
The report highlighted that, before the cement factory was established two decades ago, Dhaleshwari was a vibrant river that supported local livelihoods. Since its founding on a small plot around 2005, the complex has slowly expanded each dry season as more sand has been dumped into the river.
Image: Screenshot, Jamuna TV, YouTube
In Bangladesh, the government sells LP gas cylinders for less than half of what private companies charge for the same fuel. However, most people struggle to find locations where they can purchase government gas at this price. Jamuna TV’s Investigation 360 exposé revealed widespread corruption, with government officials at various levels involved in a four-decade-long scheme to divert subsidized gas onto the open market.
Jamuna TV published its initial report in April, followed by a December update. After the first story, the Ministry of Energy launched its own investigation that made nine recommendations for action to curb these illegal sales. Despite these measures, the illegal practice continues, with government-subsidized gas still being sold via private vendors at higher prices.
SK Tanvir Mahmud is the Bangla editor for GIJN. He previously worked as a deputy chief reporter for Prothom Alo and CNE for Independent Television Digital. He has also led multimedia and social media strategy initiatives within major newsrooms and shared his expertise as an adjunct faculty member at two public universities.
2026-01-10 05:40:24
Internews is seeking to hire a Project Director to lead a new 3-year project which will leverage the power of media and civil society to contribute towards more sustainable and fair forest governance in Asia and Africa. The project, which is funded through the FCDO Forest Governance Markets and Climate (FGMC2) programme, will support journalists, media and civil society in Cameroon, Liberia, Ghana, Vietnam and Indonesia to enhance media coverage of forest governance issues, raise public awareness and influence decision makers to support more equitable and sustainable forest management.
The Project Director will serve as the prime focal point for the project, supervising all aspects of project implementation and ensuring quality control of project deliverables, financial and programme management, reporting, monitoring and supervision and evaluation. In addition to ensuring overall compliance with Internews’ policies and funder requirements, the Project Director will also supervise project staff, maintain strong relationships with local partners and ensure coordination between consortium partners across Asia, Africa and Europe by leading regular steering committee meetings. The Project Director will report to the EJN Senior Program Officer and will closely coordinate with the Earth Journalism Network (EJN) Programme team and relevant regional teams at Internews.
2026-01-10 05:37:17
Internews’ Earth Journalism Network is seeking to hire an Africa Coordinator to support a new 3-year project which will leverage the power of media and civil society to contribute towards more sustainable and fair forest governance in Asia and Africa. The project, which is funded through the FCDO Forest Governance Markets and Climate (FGMC2) programme, will support journalists, media and civil society in Liberia, Cameroon, Ghana, Vietnam and Indonesia to enhance media coverage of forest governance issues, raise public awareness and influence decision makers to support more equitable and sustainable forest management.
The Africa Coordinator, who will be hired at 50% Level of Effort, will provide region-specific media knowledge, particularly for Liberia, Cameroon and Ghana, organize virtual and in-person trainings, and provide strategic planning and operational support for all Africa activities. They will also facilitate coordination and synergies with other Internews projects in Africa. The Africa Coordinator will report to the FGMI Project Director and will work closely with the Earth Journalism Network (EJN) Programme team and relevant regional teams at Internews.
2026-01-10 05:32:30
IREX is a global development and education organization. We strive for a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world—where individuals reach their full potential, governments serve their people, and communities thrive. We focus on four essential areas to progress: cultivating leaders, empowering youth, strengthening institutions, and increasing access to quality education and information.
IREX office in Ukraine is seeking a qualified professional to fill the position of Program Assistant for its United Voices in Action (VIA) program. The Program Assistant will coordinate and support implementation of program activities.
2026-01-10 05:24:39
Harvard University invites applications and nominations for the position of Curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism. The University seeks a visionary leader with significant journalistic accomplishments and a demonstrated commitment to the field.
The next Nieman curator has a unique opportunity to shape an innovative future for a strong and respected institution whose mission is “to promote and elevate the standards of journalism and educate individuals deemed specially qualified for journalism.”
Since 1938, the program has awarded Nieman Fellowships to more than 1,700 journalists from nearly 100 countries. The Nieman Foundation also houses an array of publications, including Nieman Lab, Nieman Reports, and Nieman Storyboard.
