Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma

Covering Trauma: Impact on Journalists

By River Smith and Elana Newman

An overview of current research on the occupational hazards for journalists covering traumatic events, the risk factors that aggravate those effects and some suggestions for mitigating those factors.

Political Communication

A list of academic publications with emphasis on political communication and psychology.

Breaking Bad News

III. Important Considerations

DON'T telephone the family/bereaved in advance to say you are coming. Try to find out discreetly where they might be found in person. If you need to break the news in the workplace, ask the person's manager beforehand for a quiet space to meet.

Self-Study Unit 4: The First 24 Hours

III. The Stories

Here are some examples of stories that were written soon after a traumatic event. Read this articles to get a sense for what a journalist has to go through after a major catastrophe to write a story for the next day's news.

Tragedies & Journalists

III. Your Community

By Joe Hight and Frank Smyth

Understand that your coverage of a traumatic event will have an impact on your readership, viewers or listeners. Remember that the tone of your coverage may reflect the tone of the community's reaction to it. Thus, you should establish policies that affect your coverage: For example, consider coverage of public memorial services for the victims, instead of private funerals. And, if you do cover private services, call the funeral home to ensure that you will not intrude.

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Self-Study Unit 3: Photography & Trauma

III. Effects of Trauma Exposure

Although photojournalists photograph a wide range of subject matter, sooner or later they will have to photograph something that they and their readers find deeply disturbing.

PTSD 101

Interviewing

By Frank Ochberg

Self-Study Unit 2: Covering Terrorism

IV. Interviewing

By Elana Newman and Chris Bull

Journalists take no Hippocratic Oath. There is little question that tackling a difficult story is a hazardous process for both journalist and source. In times of international strife, stories chronicling suffering and loss, and exposing injustices, are the stock and trade of the profession. The issue is how to minimize the risk.

Self-Study Unit 1: Journalism & Trauma

I. What is Traumatic Stress?

Traumatic stress, as defined in this module, is the pressure, force or strain on the human mind and body from a specific event of major dimension that shocks, stuns and horrifies.

Children's Issues

A list of academic publications that deal with child and adolescent psychology and psychiatry.