Writing a story about a supernatural hero who brings justice to those whose crimes go unpunished helped Leona witness the senseless murder of her classmate Lyra McKee.

Listen to the Journalism.co.uk podcast on Apple Podcasts And Spotify

In 2019, Northern Irish journalist Leona O’Neill witnessed the murder of her colleague Lyra McKee in the streets of Creggan in Derry while covering the unrest.

After this experience, she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and needed counseling. She turned to a career in academia and found a positive outlet in writing books.

She co-authored her first book in 2022, titled Breaking news: Trauma in the newsroomwhere she and 16 journalists reported in detail about the impact her job had on her mental health.

But recently her writing career has taken a new direction. Next month she will publish her first fiction book, Road of Dooma supernatural story inspired by her own journey.

In this week’s podcast, we hear what it’s like to drift into creative storytelling as a journalist who used to stick to the facts. A quick note: journalists are surrounded by an abundance of inspiration every day.

Free daily newsletter

If you like our news and editorials, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile optimized).