Tips & Tools
Homicide
"If it bleeds it leads." The death of one human being at the hand of another is a story that journalists are expected to tell. What are the special challenges posed by these stories of fatal violence? What can reporters learn about interviewing, creating a meaningful context for understanding a personal and communal trauma, about the long trajectory of murder in the lives of survivors?
Dart Resources
Ghost Town
The crossfire of drug-related violence is rendering farming towns along the U.S.-Mexico border virtually uninhabitable. Texas Monthly staff writer Cecilia Balli, a 2010 Dart Center Ochberg Fellow, reports on residents of one border town who live amid escalating terror.
A Reporter's Lessons from Past Shootings
Qualify witnesses carefully. Don't jump to conclusions about a suspect's character or motive. Treat survivors humanely. Excise the word "snapped" from your vocabulary.
Covering Mass Killings
Psychiatrist Frank Ochberg, M.D. and Bruce Shapiro, executive director of the Dart Center, share insights on the characteristics of mass killers and the ethical responsibilities of news organizations as they help the public make sense of the shooting rampage in Arizona that left six dead and a U.S. Congresswoman grievously injured.
Arizona Tragedy: Resources for Journalists
As local and national journalists scramble to make sense of a mass shooting that leaves a U.S. Congresswoman grievously wounded and six dead – including a federal judge – resources from the Dart Center's archive offer guidance to reporters in the field and managers in the newsroom.
Dave Philipps: Investigating Veteran Homicides
A reporter explains how he went from covering powder skiiing to telling the story of a brigade with a murder rate 20 times the national average – and the even more startling story of what they faced in Iraq.
Outside Resources
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The Effects of Community Violence on Children and Adolescents
National Center for PTSD
A National Center for PTSD Fact Sheet. A summary of the specific effects of community violence on children and adolescents.
All Tips & Tools
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Tragedies & Journalists
A 40-page guide to help journalists, photojournalists and editors report on violence while protecting both victims and themselves.
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Covering Columbine
This documentary, available online and on DVD, examines the impact of the news coverage of the Columbine High School shootings.