The Art of Trauma Reporting: Pulitzer Prize Winners Reflect

September 27, 2016 by Alex Hannaford, Elana Newman, Joe Hight, Matthew Ricketson, Autumn Slaughter

Teaching Notes: The Impact of Trauma Coverage

By Autumn Slaughter, Elana Newman, Ph.D. & Matthew Ricketson, Ph.D.

These teaching notes are designed to accompany videos from the Pulitzer Prize Centennial conference convened by the University of Tulsa, the University of Central Oklahoma, the University of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum and the Dart Center:

Introduction

It is recommended that this resource be used in tandem with the Pulitzer Prize Centennial conference videos.

The first video, From Watchdog to Spotlight: Journalists Exposing Systemic Abuse, features an interview with Walter “Robby” Robinson, the Boston Globe Editor-at-Large who led the “Spotlight” investigative team that won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its coverage of the widespread and systemic child sex abuse in the Boston area by numerous Roman Catholic priests. This interview is followed by a panel discussion featuring Robinson and several other award-winning journalists including Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists.

The second video, The Culture of Trauma Coverage Before and After the Internet, captures a panel discussion focused on the changes in reporting techniques and the shifting role of the journalist in the digital age.

The third video, Research on Journalists and Coverage of Trauma, features several small works of scholarship and a wide range of projects on journalism and the coverage of trauma. A follow-up interview also explores some of the ethical and emotional challenges that present themselves in the coverage of terrorism and disasters.

Panelists and Interviewees:

Participants are listed in alphabetical order.

From Watchdog to Spotlight

  • Ziva Branstetter, Editor in Chief, The Frontier in Tulsa
  • Susan Ellerbach, Executive Editor, The Tulsa World

    Branstetter and Ellerbach were part of the Tulsa World team that was a Pulitzer finalist in 2015 for their stories on the botched executions at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.
  • Joe Hight, Endowed Chair of Journalism Ethics, University of Central Oklahoma
    Hight was editor when The Gazette in Colorado Springs won the Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting in 2014 for a story about dishonorable discharges.
  • Elana Newman, McFarlin Professor of Psychology, Affiliate Faculty of Communication at Tulsa; Research Director, Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma
  • Boston Globe Editor-at-Large Walter “Robby” Robinson, who led the “Spotlight” investigative team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its coverage about the widespread and systemic child sex abuse in the Boston area by numerous Roman Catholic priests, and an ongoing cover-up of pedophilia by the Boston Archdiocese. 

The Culture of Trauma Coverage Before and After the Internet

  • Hannah Allam: Foreign correspondent; McClatchy, Washington Bureau
  • Hailey Branson Potts: Reporter, Los Angeles Times
    Part of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Reporting for its coverage of the San Bernardino terrorist attack.
  • Ed Kelley: Dean, Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication; Former Editor and Publisher of the Year, The Washington Times
  • John Schmeltzer: Professor, University of Oklahoma
    2001 Pulitzer Prize winner, The Chicago Tribune.

Research on Journalists and Coverage of Trauma

  • Mike Boettcher: War correspondent, documentarian & visiting professor at Oklahoma University
  • Hailey Branson Potts: Reporter, Los Angeles Times
    Part of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Reporting for its coverage of the San Bernardino terrorist attack.
  • Kenna Griffin:Assistant Professor, Oklahoma City University; Former reporter, The Oklahoman
  • Desiree Hill: Professor, University of Central Oklahoma; Former TV News Executive
  • Raymond McCaffrey: Director, Center for Ethics in Journalism, University of Arkansas; Former reporter and editor, Washington Post
  • Elana Newman, McFarlin Professor of Psychology, Affiliate Faculty of Communication at Tulsa; Research Director, Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma
  • Charles Porter IV: Citizen journalist, Won a Pulitzer Prize for his photograph of firefighter Chris Fields carrying Baylee Almon in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing
Questions for Discussion

The interviews and panel discussions that took place during the conference raise numerous issues for students and aspiring journalists to consider. Below are some. You or your students may have others.

From Watchdog to Spotlight

  • Alongside requests to speak with victims of child sex abuse, The Globe included a list of mental health resources for victims. Is it the responsibility of journalists to ensure victims of trauma know how to access appropriate mental health resources? Why or why not? How should journalists vet such resources?
  • What are some of the potential harms and benefits to sources when journalists ask them to come forward for an investigative report? What are the potential costs and benefits to the journalist?
  • Kenna Griffin tells the story of a colleague whose biggest concern while covering an execution was that she would not be able to hear the prisoner’s final statement over the sound of the air conditioning. Afterward, the reporter did not turn on the air conditioning in her home for months, despite it being summertime in the South. Why did this journalist believe that her work had not impacted her? How can reporters tell when their work is beginning to affect them? What are some specific steps journalists can take to stay resilient in the face of persistent pressures?

The Culture of Trauma Coverage Before and After the Internet

  • Do journalists have an obligation to “set the record straight” when rumors are shared by citizens during a breaking story? What about when they are reported by other news outlets?
  • Hannah Allam, a foreign correspondent for McClatchy, said that journalists “live and die by the click”. What does this mean? Is this true? If so, what does this mean for journalists and how they do their jobs?
  • How might tweeting your location keep you safe? What dangers does it pose?

Research on Journalists and Coverage of Trauma

  • What effects might working as a journalist have on a person’s mental health? What might you be able to do to combat those effects? 
  • What specific aspects of traumatic effects do you want to keep in mind during your career?
  • Studies have consistently shown that social support can protect individuals who have been through a traumatic experience from experiencing symptoms of trauma. Why do you think this is?
  • What are some cost-effective ways for journalists to harness natural support in newsrooms?
Classroom Activities
  • The Pulitzer Prize represents the best in newspaper, magazine and online journalism. Select a past Pulitzer Prize winner and compare and contrast that work to a piece of work that was presented in one of the videos.
    * See a sample here by Manuelle Arias, a student studying with Joe Hight at the University of Central Oklahoma.

From Watchdog to Spotlight

  • Split into groups of two. You will take turns playing the role of a reporter and a recently rescued hostage victim who has witnessed the murder of three other hostages. Practice remaining sensitive to the source’s experience while still trying to obtain important information.

The Culture of Trauma Coverage Before and After the Internet

  • Because of the speed of social media, news outlets often feel pressured to publish before thoroughly fact checking material. Find three examples of breaking news coverage in which the original reports were erroneous. What mistakes were made? How were they made? How was the original story corrected? How did the public respond?
  • Break into groups of three and assign the following roles: editor, reporter and photojournalist. You are all employees at a national newspaper with a significant online presence. A hurricane sweeps into your city and water overwhelms the city’s barriers before all areas can be evacuated. You need to provide coverage of the story immediately. Assuming the hurricane reaches the city at 9:00 am and the print edition of your newspaper has to go to press at 11:00 pm, design a media package and timeline for hurricane coverage that includes the use of social media and other digital resources.

Preparing Journalists for Coverage of Trauma: A Research Lens

  • There are still large gaps in our knowledge about how journalists can best prepare for and cover traumatic events. Design a study on the occupational health of journalists who cover trauma and how that trauma might affect them. Remember, the problem with much of the research on this topic is that many journalists do not participate in the studies.
  • Hailey Branson Potts said that there is “no level of preparing you can do for an event like [San Bernardino].”

    Potts is likely right: nothing can fully prepare someone for a chaotic, traumatic situation before it happens. However, there are things you can do ahead of time to help you cope.

    A safety plan, or list of actions, can provide someone with strategies for responding to dangerous and potentially overwhelming events. Many things a person can do – such as taking deep breaths, closing their eyes, refocusing their thoughts – may be obvious before an event happens, but these are easy to forget once a crisis emerges.

    Design your own safety plan. Include four things you can do as a journalist to help calm yourself in an overwhelming and potentially traumatic situation. Consider the options available to you as a journalist: It may not be possible to go for a walk, but it may be possible to plug in your headphones and listen to a favorite song on your phone. Make sure that your safety plan contains actions you already know help calm you down.
  • Some news organizations, such as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), have implemented peer support programs designed to help journalists handle the emotional stress of their jobs. The BBC’s program borrows from the British Army program known as Trauma Risk Management (TRiM). This program trains staff to manage people following traumatic incidents. Other groups have focused on ways to teach staff to be good colleagues and friends.  .

    Is the TRiM model useful for journalists?

    Break up into groups of three. Design a peer support system for a large city newspaper and affiliated television network. Pitch your program to management (the rest of the class). Why would your system be effective?
Resources and Additional Reading

“Covering Trauma: Impact on Journalists,” by River Smith, Elana Newman, and Susan Drevo

“Inside Storyful: Vicarious Trauma and Ensuring the Well-being of the Newsroom,” by Derek Bowler

“Making Secondary Trauma a Primary Issue: #IFJ16 Panelists on Impacts of Graphic Imagery,” by Alastair Reid

 “Reporters Exposed to Traumatic Events: Tips for Editors & Managers”

Poynter’s News University, 1 hour Journalism and Trauma Course, Units 1, 3 and 4