Dart Research Database: the Definitive Bibliography of Scholarship on Journalism and Trauma

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.

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101. Anderson, F. "Perilous" Using oral testimony with 60 present and former Australian newspaper photographers, this article examines their frequent exposure to high-risk situations and the physical and psychological costs. Photographers engage with both vulnerability and aberration, and at the same time negotiate with editors who demand and prize a proximity and emotional closeness to danger. With a particular focus on war, disaster, and everyday assignments, the article reveals a litany of hazardous experiences. It considers the photographers’ reflections, the physical effects, the significant prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and trauma-related symptoms, and the support and failings of their news organisations. The article argues that the seismic changes in the photographers’ workplace and their profession have further compounded the psychological and physical stress. This work illuminates new understanding about the historical and contemporary experiences of news photographers and the impact of the fracturing newspaper industry in Australia. Journalism Studies Vol. 19 2018 Routledge p. 1613-1632. Quasi-experimental research Journalism specific journal Other Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) PTSD Photojournalism NA NA NA Add
102. Creech, B. "Bearing the cost to witness: the political economy of risk in contemporary conflict and war reporting" As journalistic work has become increasingly precarious in recent decades, exposure to risk – that is, true bodily harm – has become a normalized condition for those reporting from conflict zones. This article considers the political economy of risk, paying particular attention to the ways it has been constructed as a desirable and manageable condition for various classes of news workers. The burden of risk is distributed unequally across staff reporters, freelancers, and non-Western local journalists of all stripes, and a persistent discourse of witnessing obscures both these inequities and the structural conditions that allow news organizations to profit from an increased assumption of individual risk. As structural conditions, individual mitigations, and practices of textual commodification are considered and critiqued, the article concludes by identifying specific strategies that push beyond an economic logic, and thus reassert the cultural and political value of conflict and war reporting as a practice that merits protection, regardless of who produces it. Such a critique focuses on developing the discursive tools that allow journalists and outside observers alike to ask ‘who should bear the costs of witnessing?' Media, Culture & Society Vol. 40 2017 SAGE p. 567-583. Other General communication journal Non-specific/general NA Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) NA NA NA NA Add
103. Douai, A. and Perry, B. "A Different Lens?: How Ethnic Minority Media Cover Crime" There is a growing body of literature on the nexus of media, race, and crime, which reveals that crime is exaggerated in mainstream media and that these same venues tend to racialize crime and criminalize race. The impact of this is that inaccurate public perceptions about the frequency, seriousness, and demographic distribution of crime are reinforced. Interestingly, however, there have been no focused efforts to explore the ways in which crime is featured within the media targeting specific racial and ethnic communities. We know little about whether such outlets reproduce these patterns. This pilot study is intended to initiate an examination of the representation of crime news in Canada’s ethnic media, exploring the patterns of crime reporting in such outlets and comparing the ways in which such news is presented to different audiences. We conducted a content analysis of two English-language newspapers in the Greater Toronto Area, which nonetheless serve specific racial and ethnic communities. Quantitative (e.g., frequency) and qualitative (e.g., themes) findings from the study offer insights into crime reporting patterns, as well as the nature of crime coverage in the studied newspapers. Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Vol. 60 2018 University of Toronto Press p. 96-121. Content Analysis Other journal Nonsexual crime NA Effects of coverage Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Other Print NA NA NA Add
104. Dworznik, G. "Personal and Organizational Predictors of Compassion Fatigue Symptoms in Local Television Journalists" Compassion fatigue is a form of traumatic stress that results from repeated encounters with victims of trauma and traumatic situations. Most often studied in counselors, nurses, and first responders, this study applies the concept to journalists who often encounter the same victims and traumatic scenes. Seventy reporters from different television markets were measured for the personal and professional factors that contribute to compassion fatigue symptoms and its components of secondary traumatic stress and burnout. Results showed personal traumatic events and perceived peer support were the strongest predictors of compassion fatigue symptoms in television reporters. Implications for reporter self-care and newsroom protocols are discussed. Journalism Practice Vol. 12 2018 Routledge p. 640-656. Quasi-experimental research Journalism specific journal Non-specific/general Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Other Television NA NA NA Add
105. Feinstein, A. and Osmann, J., Patel, V. "Symptoms of PTSD in Frontline Journalists: A Retrospective Examination of 18 Years of War and Conflict" OBJECTIVE: The objective of the current study was to determine the frequency and severity of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in journalists covering conflict. METHODS: PTSD data (Impact of Event Scale-Revised) collected over an 18-year period from 684 conflict journalists were analyzed retrospectively for frequency and severity of reexperiencing, avoidance, and arousal symptoms. Conflicts covered were civil wars in the Balkans ( n = 140 journalists), 9/11 attack in New York City ( n = 46), Iraq war ( n = 84), Mexico drug wars ( n = 104), civil war in Syria ( n = 59), Kenya election violence/Al-Shabab terror ( n = 57), state-sanctioned media intimidation in Iran ( n = 114), and the current migration crisis in Europe ( n = 80). RESULTS: The mean age of the sample was 38.59 (SD = 8.35) years, 461 (67%) journalists were men, and the mean duration of conflict work was 13.42 (SD = 7.74) years. The 5 most frequently endorsed symptoms were in the reexperiencing/intrusion category. Mean intrusion (1.31, SD = 0.97), avoidance (1.08, SD = 0.89), and arousal (1.07, SD = 0.96) scores for the entire sample were in the mild range. Being female and less educated independently predicted PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: PTSD phenomenology in a group of conflict journalists with well over a decade of frontline experience is dominated by reexperiencing symptoms. While symptom severity is for the most part mild, group means can obscure those individuals with significantly more severe difficulties. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry Vol. 63 2018 SAGE p. 629-635. Quasi-experimental research General psychology journal Other Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) PTSD NA NA NA Add
106. Hiltunen, I. "Experiences of External Interference Among Finnish Journalists" This study examines the prevalence, methods and implications of external interference among Finnish journalists based on survey responses from 875 working journalists. The definition of external interference used in the study encompasses all active and invasive methods external actors use to interfere in the journalistic process with the objective to influence editorial content. The findings indicate that low-level interference in everyday journalistic practices and mediated verbal abuse are the most frequent types of external interference. While severe interference is rare, results show that the perceived risk of interference causes concern and self-censorship among the respondents. The results are in line with previous Nordic and European studies, and underline how external interference may have detrimental effects on journalistic autonomy also in countries with strong legal, institutional and cultural safeguards of press freedom. Nordicom Review Vol. 40 2018 Nordicom p. 3-21. Quasi-experimental research Other journal Non-specific/general Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Censorship (self & other) Barriers to reporting on trauma Other NA NA NA Add
107. International Association of Women in Radio and Televison and Saady, A. "WHAT IF…? SAFETY HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN JOURNALISTS" 2017 IAWRT . Other Other Other NA Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Training of journalists PTSD Tips for covering trauma generally Tips for interacting with victims Tips for coping with trauma NA NA Add
108. Johnston, L. "Whetting the appetite: What are the challenges for journalists covering Syria’s conflict and the migration crisis using UGC?" This article examines the challenges for BBC journalists covering the migration ‘crisis’, particularly the events in Syria that contribute to that movement. Findings from interviews and newsroom observations highlight the emotional risks to journalists when working with user-generated content (UGC), the strategies used to process this material and editorial decision-making employed when determining how best to depict news events. Complex frameworks within BBC News may result in different practices and decisions being made across the newsroom. Editors consider the impact on, and needs of, audiences as routine. But they must also consider the well-being of the staff who may encounter UGC that will never leave the newsroom due to its explicit nature. These journalists risk experiencing trauma and upset, which may also be triggered by the crisis itself over a sustained period. This article raises questions about the best ways for UGC to cover the migration crisis while considering journalists’ experiences and well-being. Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies Vol. 7 2018 Intellect p. 177-195. Other Journalism specific journal War Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Other Photojournalism NA NA NA Add
109. Lee, M. and Ha, E.H., Pae, J.K. "The exposure to traumatic events and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder among Korean journalists" This study investigated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms on Korean journalists and the contributing variables. Predicting variables included the exposure to traumatic events, coping strategy, social support, optimism, negative beliefs, and the journalists’ occupational perspectives. A total of 367 Korean journalists participated in the survey. The findings revealed that, first, Korean journalists had suffered severely from PTSD symptoms according to the prevalence rate. Second, the extent of traumatic event exposure, the length of career, the use of dysfunctional coping strategy, a lack of social support, and negative beliefs were identified as significantly related variables. Finally, occupational perspectives showed meaningful associations with development of the symptoms. This study provided an empirical analysis of Korean journalists’ experiences of traumatic events and psychological stress for the first time. Journalism Vol. 19 2018 SAGE p. 1308-1325. Quasi-experimental research Journalism specific journal Other Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) PTSD NA NA NA Add
110. Monteiro, S. and Marques-Pinto, A. "Journalists' Occupational Stress: A Comparative Study between Reporting Critical Events and Domestic News" Nowadays, journalism is considered a stressful occupation, not only due to the stress perceived in journalists' daily work but also due to the critical, potentially traumatic events they report. However, research on journalists' occupational stress in both these professional settings is still scarce. This study aims to characterize and compare occupational stress variables perceived by journalists in their daily work and in critical scenarios. Taking the Holistic Model of Occupational Stress by Nelson and Simmons (2003) as a framework, 25 Portuguese journalists, all with experience in reporting critical events, were interviewed on their perceptions of some core variables of the model: occupational stressors, distress and eustress emotional reactions, and the consequences of these experiences on their well-being. Differences among these core variables, according to the number of deployments to a critical event, were statistically analysed in order to ascertain whether repeated exposure to trauma influenced journalists' occupational stress perceptions. The data content analysis showed that occupational stressors and emotional reactions differed across settings, while the consequences associated with journalists' experiences were perceived as being mainly negative in both occupational contexts. Significant differences were identified in some of these variables according to the number of deployments to a critical event (p < .05). These findings may contribute to a reflection on the role of media organizations in preparing and supporting journalists in their work performance, and on the promotion of occupational health within the scope of journalists' daily work and critical events. The article closes with considerations for future studies. The Spanish Journal of Psychology Vol. 20 2017 Cambridge University Press p. 1-17. Quasi-experimental research General psychology journal Other Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Other NA NA NA Add
111. Høiby, M. and Ottosen, R. "Journalism under pressure in conflict zones: A study of journalists and editors in seven countries" Through interviews with 100 journalists and editors in seven countries, the authors examine safety as the main challenge for journalists covering war and conflict in both local and international contexts. The article places a particular focus on the situation for Filipino and Norwegian journalists. The underreporting of legal aspects of international conflict, combined with less security, means less presence and more journalistic coverage based on second-hand observation. The article argues that reduced access to conflict hotspots owing to the tactical targeting of journalists might distort the coverage of wars and conflicts, and affect the quality of journalism in future. Media, War & Conflict 2017 SAGE . Quasi-experimental research General communication journal War Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Other Other NA NA NA Add
112. Palmer, L. and Melki, J. "Shape shifting in the conflict zone: The strategic performance of gender in war reporting" The war journalist is often portrayed as a ruggedly masculine individual who survives on hard work, self-sufficiency, and heroic dedication to the truth in a stoic culture and dangerous environment. Yet, the growing number of female war journalists subtly complicates this traditional narrative. Female war reporters navigate the precariousness of the conflict zone through the strategy of shape shifting—of switching gender performances depending on the environment and the audience. This article examines the shape-shifting phenomenon in the field, relying on 72 qualitative interviews conducted with English- and Arabic-speaking female journalists who have covered various wars and conflicts in the Arab region and beyond. On one level, interviewees say that they can work in precisely the same way as their male counterparts, downplaying their femininity and accentuating their own masculine qualities. On another rather paradoxical level, women war correspondents also sometimes foreground their feminine accessibility and intuition, especially when engaging female sources and entering private spaces inaccessible to male journalists. Finally, female conflict reporters sometimes perform an exaggerated version of feminine weakness or tacitly accept sexist treatment, especially when shape shifting can save them from danger or help them circumvent obstructions. Journalism Studies 2016 Routledge . Quasi-experimental research Journalism specific journal War Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Other NA NA NA Add
113. Ricketson, M. "Taking journalism and trauma seriously: the importance of the AZ case" Abstract: The case of an award-winning photographer who sued her newspaper over the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) she suffered is historic because it was the first of its kind in Australia. Such lawsuits are rare if not unprecedented, even in the United States. The plaintiff's lawsuit was unsuccessful but has sparked debate among commentators about the legal tests applied in actions brought by media workers. The case of AZ vs The Age has focused attention on the complex interrelationship between a media organisation's duty of care for its employees and the extent to which it is possible for them to take account of the emotional makeup, circumstances and background of individual photographers and journalists. The case has prompted at least some media companies to extend training and improve support for their employees covering traumatic events, according to the Dart Centre Asia-Pacific. Australian Journalism Review Vol. 39 2017 Informit p. 177-189. Other Journalism specific journal Non-specific/general NA Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Training of journalists Other PTSD Print NA NA NA Add
114. Slaughter, A. and Newman, E., Brummel, B.J., Drevo, S. "Journalist safety trainings: effective for all?" Safety trainings (STs), also known as hazardous or hostile environment trainings, are evolving as a worldwide industry practice designed to keep journalists safe. However, little is known about the effectiveness of STs, particularly how men and women journalists respond to them. In order to better understand differences in ST needs and satisfaction among men and women journalists, 247 journalists completed a survey about their most recent experience with STs. Overall, all journalists reported high satisfaction with trainings. Nevertheless, statistically significant gender differences were found on measures of overall satisfaction (general rating and whether to recommend ST to a colleague), satisfaction with trainer knowledge and STs' sensitive and accurate coverage of gender and diversity related threats. Men reported higher satisfaction than women on all four measures. However, gender differences varied based on the regions in which journalists worked and the type of stories covered. Recommendations for future research and design of safety trainings are discussed. Australian Journalism Review Vol. 40 2018 Informit p. 53-65. Quasi-experimental research Journalism specific journal Non-specific/general Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) NA NA NA NA Add
115. Smith, R.J. and Drevo, S., Newman, E. "Covering traumatic news stories: Factors associated with post? traumatic stress disorder among journalists" The current study examined personal and environmental factors that placed 167 U.S. journalists from diverse media organizations at risk for post?traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after covering work?related traumatic stories. These factors included exposure to traumatic stressors in their personal lives, work?related traumatic stressors, and general organizational stressors. Further, personality attributes and coping styles associated with risk and resiliency were examined. Regression analyses identified avoidant emotional coping, higher levels of perceived organizational stressors, intensity of exposure to work?related traumatic stressors, and personal trauma history as statistically significant risk factors for PTSD. The results provide empirical support for the negative impact of organizational stressors and avoidant emotional coping on journalists covering trauma?related stories. Understanding the organizational climate journalists are working in, as well as the manner in which journalists manage work?related stressors, is important in the development of a more comprehensive model of who may develop work?related PTSD symptoms. Opportunities for news organizations to reduce PTSD risk among journalists are discussed. Stress and Health Vol. 34 2018 Wiley p. 218-226. Quasi-experimental research General psychology journal Non-specific/general Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) PTSD NA NA NA Add
116. Tandoc Jr., E.C. and Takahashi, B. "Journalists are humans, too: A phenomenology of covering the strongest storm on earth" This study focused on the phenomenology of covering a natural disaster by documenting the lived experience of 12 national and local journalists who covered Typhoon Haiyan when it hit the Philippines in November 2013. Studies that focused on journalists who covered natural disasters have identified their experiences as either journalists trying to balance their norms or as victims dealing with trauma. Our analysis brings these experiences together for a more holistic description of the experience of covering a natural disaster, arguing that one aspect of the experience cannot be understood without the other. Through an interpretative phenomenological analysis, this study found that the journalists experienced the storm as journalists, leaders, victims, and as community members. Such experiences were marked by liminal gaps, with one experience affecting the other. Journalism Vol. 19 2018 SAGE p. 917-933. Quasi-experimental research Journalism specific journal Mass disaster Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Other NA NA NA Add
117. Thompson, T.J. "Mapping the emotional labor and work of visual journalism" The study of emotion in journalism has largely been ignored and, when studied, is relegated almost exclusively to media texts. As such, this research aims to rectify this imbalance by focusing on the human side of journalism practice and the emotional labor and work experienced by documentary visual journalists. It does so through an in-depth, interview-based approach with 23 journalists in eight countries and identifies the sources of emotional labor and work experienced by those in the profession and how visual journalists manage the effects of the emotional labor and work they experience. The findings suggest that emotional labor and work pervade the production, editing, and post-production phases of journalistic work but not equally for all types of visual journalists. Female journalists, in particular, reported unique emotional investment and display practices, while a subset of male journalists reported unique emotional management ones. In addition, almost across the board, the visual journalists in this sample reported relying on more informal rather than formal strategies to manage the effects of their work-related emotions. Journalism 2018 SAGE p. 1-18. Quasi-experimental research Journalism specific journal Non-specific/general Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Other Photojournalism NA NA NA Add
118. Zafra, N. "Backpack reporting of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines: Implications of convergent technologies on disaster journalism" This article offers an analysis of digital technologies’ implications on disaster reporting using the perspective of a journalism-documentary practitioner. The study uses Typhoon Haiyan disaster as a case study and is based on an ethnographic analysis of the author’s backpack news production in post-disaster regions in the Philippines. It supports the notion that media convergence adds valuable new elements to storytelling and presentation of news but it only refines and not replaces traditional newsgathering methodologies. Drawing on the theories of emotional discourses in disaster reporting (Pantti, Wahl-Jorgensen & Cottle, 2012), media convergence and technological determinism, this article argues that journalists practising the backpack-style are confronted with more technical issues and even higher stress-level working in disaster zones, but being solo provides more opportunities to practise humanistic storytelling. Backpack journalists immersing in disaster zones can collect more personal narratives from survivors of a disaster who feel less intimidated by their use of informal equipment. Pacific Journalism Review Vol. 24 2018 Pacific Media Centre p. 103-122. Other Journalism specific journal Mass disaster NA Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Discussion of reporting techniques Other Tips for covering trauma generally NA NA Add
119. Zeng, Y. "Danger, trauma, and verification: eyewitnesses and the journalists who view their material" Media Asia Vol. 45 2018 Routledge p. 55-59. Other General communication journal Non-specific/general NA Type of specific news content Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Other NA NA NA Add
120. Kodellas, Spyridon and Niki Papastavrou; Andreas Giannakoulopoulos; Dimitris Koutsompolis "Journalists’ victimization experiences and fear of crime at the workplace: Results of a questionnaire survey from Greece and Cyprus" Using a representative sample of 635 active professional journalists, this study is one of the first to examine the prevalence of non-lethal workplace victimization experiences and the extent of fear of crime among journalists. The results indicated a relatively high prevalence of physical victimization, an exceptionally high prevalence of psychological abuse and an average prevalence of property victimization among professional journalists. Additionally, it was found that journalists overall had relatively low levels of fear of crime at work. The analysis also revealed the sociodemographic and employment characteristics of professional journalists who were more closely associated with different types of victimization and fear of crime at work. European Journal of Communication Vol. 29 2014 Sage Publications p. 480-494. Quasi-experimental research General communication journal Nonsexual crime Other Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Other NA NA NA Add