He describes warnings from frontline staff going unheard, with burnout and departures disproportionately affecting people of color. The essay calls for protected time to experiment and prototype, broader employee agency in newsroom decisions, and access to these spaces beyond senior managers. Its central shift is from a focus on platforms to newsroom culture.
Raw SignalOct 8, 20261 min read1 source
The space to breathe
In one minute
Ben Werdmuller’s essay “The space to breathe,” published on 7 October 2026, argues that sustained pressure leaves newsrooms reactive and undermines their capacity to innovate.