Zelalem Tesfaye Worku

Zelalem Tesfaye Worku is an Ethiopian journalism and communication scholar, educator, and media professional, serving as an Assistant Professor at Bahir Dar University. His professional experience spans journalism education, broadcast media management, media development, and international communication. Zelalem is actively engaged in advancing stress and trauma awareness and psychosocial well-being in journalism education and practice in Ethiopia and the wider region. Through the AGILE initiative, supported by UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) and implemented by Fojo Media Institute, he contributes to integrating stress and trauma management into journalism education and professional training. His work includes training journalism educators and journalists, supporting the development of teaching modules, and promoting self-care, peer support, trauma-informed reporting, and safer newsroom practices. The initiative also supports journalism schools in Ethiopia to integrate stress and trauma awareness into their curricula, while related regional activities extend to journalists and journalism educators in countries including Rwanda and Somalia. His work seeks to strengthen the capacity of journalists and educators to recognise and manage occupational stress, report responsibly on traumatic events, and protect both their own well-being and that of the people they interview.