Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma

"News Media and Trauma," a video featuring a wide range of Australian journalists recounting experiences and lessons learned covering traumatic stories, is now available online (below) as well as on DVD.

This video, originally produced by Dart Centre Australasia with Brett McLeod of the Nine Network in Melbourne, Australia, 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 Nine Network’s “60 Minutes” recalls the image that upset him as a cub reporter — and  still does.

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."

Newsroom managers and others who require hard copies can request free DVD copies online. Otherwise, the video is available here: