Moral injury is often linked to trauma-exposed professionals at the frontline of tragedy, but it also arises in quieter, more insidious ways—inside institutions that exist to do good. It happens when organisations built on fairness, justice or care betray their own values, leaving those who believe in them to grapple with deep disillusionment and loss of faith.

As a communications leader, I have spent much of my career helping organisations tell stories of hope, equality and social good. But I have also witnessed the painful dissonance between what’s promised publicly and what happens privately—mission-driven organisations that speak of fairness while punishing those who question the inequity entrenched within office walls. Behind the inspirational campaigns and values statements, I’ve seen exclusion, bullying, elitism and silencing.

None of these lessons have been easy, but the sharpest has been the moral conflict of being responsible for crafting these messages of hope while privately witnessing the opposite play out behind the scenes. Watching the slow erosion of trust when integrity collides with organisational and leadership self-protection is more than disenchanting—it’s visceral. It leaves a mark, a deep moral injury that lingers long after leaving a role. These contradictions don’t just wound individuals, they corrode culture and public trust.

I’ve also seen this dissonance in newsrooms, where horrific tragedies have been openly celebrated as the perfect antidote to a “slow news day”. Editors agonise over headline wording and point size to maximise public horror and bait clicks. The schadenfreude is breathtaking.

This presentation explores how moral injury manifests in values-driven workplaces—how it accumulates through hypocrisy, silence and complicity, and what recovery might require. It argues that healing is not about personal resilience, but organisational courage. Real repair begins when institutions are willing to face their contradictions, to listen without defensiveness, and to act with integrity.

I’ll draw on lived and professional experiences across journalism, education, global development and gender equity to show how moral injury can be both personal and systemic. My hope is to fuel honest conversation about what it means to live our values, not just perform them.