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“I don’t really know much about trauma; I’ve never covered a war or disaster.”
That’s what Brett McLeod heard from many journalists, when the Nine Networks senior reporter asked to interview them for a new DVD on “News Media and Trauma,” produced by Dart Centre Australasia. But that, to McLeod, is exactly the point.
“The events that traumatise us need not be large-scale tragedy,” writes McLeod. “They can be the story you cover tomorrow.”
The DVD McLeod compiled is now available across the globe, and it features leading Australian reporters, videographers and photographers from commercial television networks, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, newspapers and radio, all speaking about the stories that have had the greatest impact on them, and how they coped—or tried to.
Among them: Jessica Adamson of Adelaide’s Channel 7 reveals the hate mail that followed her reporting of a baby’s drowning in Adelaide. Renee Nowytarger of The Australian tells how a local car crash took a greater personal toll on a photographer than a natural disaster. Peter Harvey of the Australian Nine Network’s “60 Minutes” recalls the image that upset him as a cub reporter—and still does.
“Across the industry there’s some common understanding of what needs to be done in terms of preparing people to do this sort of work,” McLeod says.
“But it’s not often enunciated by experienced staff nor by newer journalists, probably for fear of being seen by their peers as ‘too soft.’ This DVD is not about ‘soft’ journalism. It’s about doing the job professionally and turning out a better product without harming ourselves or others.”
Cait McMahon, director of Dart Centre Australasia, hopes the DVD will help engage journalists in conversations, both formal and informal, about the coverage of violence and trauma.
“Developing skills in how to better deal with the consequences of trauma exposure results in better journalism and, ultimately, better stories,” says McMahon. “We hope this DVD will be of use and interest for everyone in the industry, including journalists, educators, editors and managers.”
The DVD is the latest project of a network of Australian and New Zealand journalists convened by Dart Australasia last year.
Dart Centre Australasia officially launches “News Media and Trauma” in Sydney at 6:30 pm on Monday February 25 at Gleebooks, 49 Glebe Pt Rd. A Melbourne launch will be at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, February 27th at the Celtic Club, 320 Queen St.
Copies of “News Media and Trauma” are available for 100 AUD (93.56 USD; 61.64 EUR) plus shipping and handling. To purchase a copy, e-mail info@dartcenter.org with your name and shipping address.
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