Produced by the Dart Research Lab at the University of Tulsa and the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Click "Add" next to a citation to store it in My Research List for the rest of this browser session.
Raymond McCaffrey"The Oklahoma City Bombing: Institutional Practices by Journalists Covering the Biggest Story of Their Lives"This historical case study looks at the Oklahoma City bombing through the eyes of the local journalists who covered it. This study examined how theory concerning institutional codes and rules translated to journalism practice during an event that killed 168 people in 1995. More than 1,700 pages of transcripts of interviews with 83 local journalists were reviewed at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. These accounts serve as evidence of a link between professional journalism practices and the institutional rules taught in journalism schools and outlined in journalistic ethics codes. The journalists’ most powerful motivation was a sense of responsibility informed by core journalistic principles such as seeking the truth, providing accurate information, and remaining impartial and fair. The journalists spoke of following unwritten rules calling for risk-taking, emotional detachment, and stoicism. The journalists also talked about experiencing symptoms common to those suffering from trauma-and stressor-related mental disorders. The coverage also was historically significant because of how a bank loan officer’s wrenching Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of an Oklahoma City firefighter holding the body of a bloodied child augured the rise of citizen journalists and the new ethical challenges faced by mainstream media outlets in the coming Internet age.Journalism PracticeVol. 162022p. 1984-2000.Content AnalysisJournalism specific journalTerrorismNAOccupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma)Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold)NANANAAdd
Desiree Hill"Campus Coverage of An Execution: A Narrative Analysis"Research demonstrates that most professional journalists will experience trauma in their work. Yet almost no research has focused on college students’ coverage of a traumatic event. Narrative analysis explores the experiences of 12 university students who reported and produced execution coverage for their college newscast. The data reveal that the students struggled with feelings of detachment, uncertainty, and dread before, during, and after the coverage. The research also explored the students’ reaction to counseling sessions scheduled by faculty to mitigate the trauma. Findings illuminate a path for student media programs to follow to help students prepare for potentially troubling content.Journalism & Mass Communication EducatorVol. 782023Sage Journalsp. 183-198.Content AnalysisJournalism specific journallegal/government executionOccupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma)Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold)Tips for coping with traumaAdvice on training journalistsNAAdd
Signe Ivask and Signe Ivask "“You can Run, but You Cannot Hide!” Mapping Journalists’ Experiences With Hostility in Personal, Organizational, and Professional Domains"Our study describes how hostility reaches journalists and their reactions to the experiences. Semi-structured interviews with 18 Estonian journalists were conducted in 2021 from June to December. We divided journalists’ experiences into personal, professional, and organizational domains. One key observation is that journalists cannot avoid work-related hostility, even when off-duty. In addition, as one journalist
receives hostility in a myriad of ways, there is a necessity for a multilevel approach when teaching about coping with or preventing unnecessary hostility from reaching journalists. Our mapping can be used when preparing students for occupational hazards or developing journalism curricula.Journalism & Mass Communication EducatorVol. 782023Sage Journalsp. 199-213.Quasi-experimental researchJournalism specific journalOtherAdultOccupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma)NANAAdvice on training journalistsNAAdd
Jeannine E. Relly and Silvio Waisbord"Why collective resilience in journalism matters: A call to action in global media development"The COVID-19 pandemic, global economic downturn, anti-press violence and worsening situation of labour precarity for journalists around the world have led to increased stress, trauma and burnout in the profession, which raises questions at the heart of media sustainability and approaches to media development in a global context. Our study builds on the conceptual framework of professional and collective resilience research to analyse the content of media development work on publicly facing websites of a census of implementing organizations represented on the Center for International Media Assistance website (N = 18). Our findings suggest that donors and other sponsors of media development work should consider making resilience a core component of global programmes in support
of media democracy and journalism. Though programmatic agendas in global media development are crowded with multiple goals in response to complex problems, we believe that resilience should be prioritized. This work cannot be done without a nuanced analysis of local causes of emotional distress as well as local understandings of emotional labour and repair. Working with journalists’ support organizations and employers in conducting diagnoses, identifying suitable actions and promoting sustainable practices is imperative. Recommendations and actions need to be sensitive to local conditions, demands and opportunities. While immediate remediation actions are important, it is also important to
keep attention on long-term structural matters that cause emotional distress.Journal of Applied Journalism & Media StudiesVol. 112022p. 163-188.OtherJournalism specific journalNAOccupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma)OtherTips for coping with traumaAdvice on training journalistsNAAdd
Marína Urbániková and Lenka Haniková"Coping with the Murder: The Impact of Ján Kuciak’s Assassination on Slovak Investigative Journalists"In this contribution, using a case-study approach, we focus on the assassination of Ján Kuciak and his fiancée and explore the impact and consequences that it had on the community of investigative journalists in Slovakia. By conducting a series of semi-structured interviews with top investigative journalists (N = 12), we seek to answer two questions: How have they coped with the murder of their colleague? And, how has this incident changed their everyday journalistic practices and routines when it comes to achieving and maintaining safety? We identified 12 coping actions which, based on their function, were organized into five higher order families of coping: emotional purging; sharing and support seeking; avoidance and displacement; defiance and defence; and spreading the legacy and giving meaning to the tragedy. Regarding safety and security practices, the journalists claim that their approach has fundamentally
changed. A variety of measures to stay safe, both online and offline, were adopted both on the organizational and on the individual level. However, many of these measures are not used consistently, mostly because they are not deemed necessary when covering non-sensitive topics, but also because of their impracticality in everyday journalistic work, and sceptical and fatalistic approach of the journalists to safety.Journalism PracticeVol. 162022Routledgep. 1927-1947.Quasi-experimental researchJournalism specific journalOtherAdultOccupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma)Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold)Tips for coping with traumaNANAAdd
Alexandra Wake and Matthew Ricketson "Trauma in the newsroom: Lessons on the importance of Australia’s YZ case"A landmark ruling by an Australian court has put news media companies on notice they face potential findings of negligence and subsequent
compensation claims if they fail to exercise a reasonable duty of care to journalists who cover traumatic events. Drawing on legal doctrinal methodology, we look at the successful case and compare it to an earlier unsuccessful case at the same newspaper where journalists sought damages from their employer for injury caused by their work. The case before the Victorian County Court in 2019 was the first to recognize the risk of psychological damage on those who report on traumatic events. The court ruled that journalist YZ, who worked at one of Australia’s oldest metropolitan daily newspapers, The Age, be awarded A$180,000 for psychological injury suffered while working between 2003 and 2013. YZ had reported on 32 murders and many more cases as a court reporter. She covered what were colloquially called Melbourne’s gangland wars, was threatened by one of its notorious figures and found it increasingly difficult to report on events involving the death of children, such as the case of a four-year-old who was murdered by her father by being thrown from a bridge in 2009. The court’s ruling – and ratification of the decision at appeal – was in stark contrast to the case from the same newspaper, in 2012, which did not uphold the claim of a news photographer. Apart from the intrinsic importance of the cases, it is relevant for journalism educators who are charged with preparing the next generation of journalists, many of whom will cover traumatic events. Educators and others have been urging cultural change in newsrooms for years but this ruling shows that it may well be now required by law. This paper asks: Can educators find sufficient space in a crowded curriculum
to prepare students?Ethical Space: The International Journal of Communication EthicsVol. 192022.OtherOther journalNon-specific/generalNAOccupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma)NANANANAAdd
Yuan Zeng"Danger, trauma, and verification: eyewitnesses and the journalists who view their material"Media AsiaVol. 452018p. 55-59.Review (not including Meta-Analysis)Other journalNon-specific/generalNAOccupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma)NANANANAAdd
Magdalena Celuch and Rita Latikka, Reetta Oksa, and Atte Oksanen"Online Harassment and Hate Among Media Professionals: Reactions to One’s Own and Others’ Victimization"This study investigated the experiences of Finnish media professionals with online harassment. Participants (N = 695) answered a survey including questions concerning their experiences with online harassment and a survey experiment involving a death threat received by someone else. Results showed that closeness to the victim was associated with increased anxiety levels, but it did not affect countermeasures recommendations for the victim. Victims’ reactions depended on their visibility in the public sphere and on the frequency and severity of the harassment. The results demonstrate that online harassment is prevalent among media professionals and that prevention and intervention are crucial.Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly2023p. 1-27.Quasi-experimental researchJournalism specific journalOtherAdultOccupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma)Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold)NANANAAdd
Sam Dubberley and Elizabeth Griffin, Haluk Mert Bal "Making Secondary Trauma a Primary Issue: A Study of Eyewitness Media and Vicarious Trauma on the Digital Frontline"This report presents the findings of an in-depth study into the impact that viewing traumatic eyewitness media has upon the mental health of staff working for news, human rights and humanitarian organization.First Draft2015.OtherOthertorture/human rightsAdultOccupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma)PTSDNANANAAdd
n.d."The Chilling: A Gobal Study On Online Violence Against Women Journalists"2023.OtherOtherOtherNAOccupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma)NANANANAAdd
Karen Neill"Terror without training: First-hand experiences of student journalists covering the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings"In 2019, 51 people were killed in terror attacks at two mosques in Christchurch, a city on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand with a population of around 400,000 people. It was the deadliest mass shooting in the country’s history and the first terror attack of its kind on home soil, attracting extensive international media attention. Given the city’s relative isolation, early coverage was by local media and included local journalism students who had responded to a developing event. This study explores the first-hand experiences of these undergraduate broadcast journalism students who, just a few weeks into a new academic year, covered the news story for national and international media. Using mini focus groups, this descriptive study sheds light on how students with little to no trauma training coped with reporting on such an extreme and unprecedented event and the crucial role soft skills played in guiding their actions.Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies2023p. 1-19.Quasi-experimental researchGeneral psychology journalMass violenceOccupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma)Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold)NAAdvice on training journalistsNAAdd
Magdalena Obermaier and AnnemarieWiedicke, NinaSteindl and Thomas Hanitzsch"Reporting Trauma: Conflict Journalists’ Exposure to Potentially Traumatizing Events, Short- and Long- Term Consequences, and Coping Behavior"Due to the nature of their jobs, journalists reporting from theaters of war, destruction, and violence are frequently exposed to potentially traumatizing experience. This study explores how journalists go about trauma exposure, how they deal with its emotional fallout, and what support they get in the process. In doing so, we use 35 qualitative interviews with conflict journalists working for news media in German-speaking countries, and draw on established theories of trauma exposure, its mental consequences, and ways to cope with them. Findings show that conflict journalists run a significant risk of experiencing trauma, either directly as targets of violence, or indirectly as eye-witnesses and as recipients of narrative accounts and vivid images of human suffering. Respondents noted a glaring lack of organizational support and prevention structure, which they connected to a problematic newsroom culture characterized by sexism, machoism, and a fierce competition.Journalism Studies2023.Quasi-experimental researchJournalism specific journalWarAdultOccupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma)PTSDTips for coping with traumaWhat to expect with media related traumaHow to teach students to cover traumaAdd
Verona Wazir and Verona Wazir"Impact of Trauma Exposure on Psychosocial Functioning of Media Professionals: Sense of Coherence as Moderator"Media professionals may experience impaired psychosocial functioning (PF) as a result of direct or indirect exposure to distressing content or events. The literature suggests that exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) does not necessarily lead to psychopathology. It is thus necessary to identify the role of protective factors—for example, sense of coherence (SOC)—that result in healthy PF. For this purpose, 307 media professionals were surveyed to assess the moderating role of SOC in the relationship between PTEs and PF. Results demonstrate that a significant positive correlation exists between SOC and PF and both are negatively but nonsignificantly associated with PTEs. Furthermore, SOC moderated
the relationship between PTEs and PF.Journal of Loss and Trauma2023.Quasi-experimental researchGeneral psychology journalAdultOccupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma)Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold)NANANAAdd
Ying Xiong and Shengqing Liao"Thriving after trauma in emotional livelihood journalism in China: Vicarious exposure to trauma and vicarious post-traumatic growth among journalists"This study examined the negative impact of vicarious exposure to trauma (VET) and its transformation into vicarious post-traumatic growth (VPTG) among a particular type of journalist in China: emotional livelihood journalists. These journalists are often exposed to indirect trauma and have a high degree of emotional involvement with their subjects.
Utilising cluster sampling, 126 such journalists (F = 92, M = 34) were selected to participate in this study. VET, secondary traumatic stress (STS), empathy, social support, and VPTG were measured through an online questionnaire to provide a moderated mediation model. Linear regression analysis showed that (1) VET directly predicts VPTG in reporters,
and indirectly predicts VPTG through the mediating effect of STS; (2) when empathy is high, VET has a greater impact on STS levels, but when empathy is low, its effect is non-significant in the relationship between VET and VPTG; and (3) social support was not a significant moderator in the model. This study is among the first to link VET to VPTG among journalists, demonstrating that STS mediates this relationship and that
empathy moderates the association between VET and STS. The results imply that dealing indirectly with trauma can lead to positive psychological changes in journalists. Media organisations can facilitate VPTG by offering comprehensive psychological support for journalists exposed to indirect traumatic events.Journalism2023p. 1-21.Quasi-experimental researchJournalism specific journalNon-specific/generalAdultOccupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma)Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold)NANANAAdd
Gavin Rees"Weathering the trauma storms"British Journalism ReviewVol. 182007.OtherJournalism specific journalNAOccupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma)PTSDTips for interacting with victimsTips for coping with traumaNANAAdd
Gavin Rees"Occupational Distress in UK Factual Television".2019Dart Centre Europe.Quasi-experimental researchOtherNon-specific/generalAdultOccupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma)PTSDTelevisionNAAdvice on training journalistsNAAdd