1A

ICYMI: Journalist Kate Woodsome Reflects On Her Life After January 6

Jan 6, 2025

In this insightful discussion, journalist Kate Woodsome, a Pulitzer Prize winner known for her riveting coverage of January 6, reflects on the chaos she faced at the Capitol. She explores how that day reshaped her personal and professional life, leading her to confront workaholism and embrace mental health advocacy. Woodsome also emphasizes the critical links between mental health and democracy, urging for community support to tackle societal crises like loneliness and the opioid epidemic. Her journey illustrates the power of resilience and transformation.

11:31

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Kate Woodsome

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Quick takeaways

Kate Woodsome’s experience during the Capitol riots deepened her understanding of the psychological impacts of political violence and division in America.

The founding of the Invisible Threads Project emphasizes the crucial link between individual mental health and the overall health of democracy.

Deep dives

The Impact of January 6th on Journalism

The storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021, served as a pivotal moment for journalist Kate Woodson, who experienced firsthand the hostility and dangers that emerged from mass misinformation. She faced aggressive confrontations that revealed how deeply divided the nation had become, driven largely by a narrative from then-President Trump that undermined the integrity of the electoral outcome. This experience heightened her awareness of the psychological impacts of political violence, pushing her to reflect on her identity as a journalist entwined with her profession. Ultimately, this harrowing event motivated her to reassess her coping mechanisms, leading her to acknowledge the necessity of addressing personal trauma alongside societal issues in journalism and beyond.

Intro

5min

Reflections on Trauma, Identity, and Democracy

3min

The Invisible Threads of Mental Health and Democracy

2min

Interconnected Paths to Sustainable Change

2min

Four years ago on Jan. 6, journalist Kate Woodsome was at the U.S. Capitol. She was calm as a small group surrounded her, shouting. What happened next reverberated around the country for years to come.

The storming of the Capitol was a historic moment for the United States. But it was also a crucial turning point in the life of that Washington Post reporter at the center of the vitriol.

In the four years since, she's made major changes in her professional and personal life. She's also shifted her thinking about our divided nation.

Woodsome joins us to to reflect on what happened that day and what it meant for her relationships, her work, and her country.

To read more of Kate Woodsome's work, check out the Invisible Threads newsletter.

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