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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141. Gretchen Dworznik-Hoak "Weathering the Storm: Occupational Stress in Journalists Who Covered Hurricane Harvey" When a hurricane strikes, journalists provide description of what happens, keep the public up-to-date after the event, and even contribute to the recovery and resiliency of their community. These efforts place journalists in a position to suffer not only physical, but psychological stress symptoms. Using the Holistic Model of Occupational Stress as a framework, 30 local journalists who covered Hurricane Harvey were studied to discover the occupational stressors, emotional responses and mental health impacts associated with covering a hurricane where you live. Lack of schedule, few breaks from the tragedy, and long hours were significant organizational stressors while interactions with victims caused the most task-related stress. Focusing on the importance of what they were doing was the most significant positive emotional response. Additionally, 20% had storm related PTSD and 40% had depression. Implications for disaster coverage planning and newsroom managers are discussed. Journalism Studies Vol. 21 2020 p. 88-106. Quasi-experimental research Journalism specific journal Mass disaster Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold) NA NA NA Add
142. Jackie Harrison and Diana Maynard and Sara Torsner "Strengthening the Monitoring of Violations against Journalists through an Events-Based Methodology" Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 16.10.1 proposes an important monitoring agenda for the global recording of a range of violations against journalists as a means to prevent attacks on the communicative functions of journalism. However, the need for extensive collection of data on violations against journalists raises a number of methodological challenges. Our research shows the following issues must be addressed: the lack of conceptual consistency; the lack of methodological transparency; the need for sophisticated data categorisation and disaggregation to enable data to be merged from different sources; the need to establish links to understand causal and temporal relations between people and events; and the need to explore and utilize previously untapped data sources. If we are to strengthen the monitoring of SDG 16.10.1, we propose to develop a robust and reliable events-based methodology and a set of tools which can facilitate the monitoring of the full range of proposed 16.10.1 categories of violations, reconcile data from multiple sources in order to adhere to the established 16.10.1 category definitions, and to further disaggregate the proposed 16.10.1 categories to provide more in-depth information on each instance of a violations. This, we argue, will ultimately contribute towards better understanding of the contextual circumstances and processes producing aggressions against journalists. Media and Communication Vol. 8 2020 p. 89-100. Other General communication journal Nonsexual crime NA Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) NA NA NA NA Add
143. Mubashar Hasan and Mushfique Wadud "Re-Conceptualizing Safety of Journalists in Bangladesh" Journalists are currently facing a multitude of threats. Commonly, these are considered in terms of harassment and bodily harms such as incarceration and murder of journalists. In the Bangladeshi case we argue that the parameters for evaluating what constitutes safety for journalists go beyond conventional wisdom. On the basis of in-depth interviews of 23 Bangladeshi journalists, we argue that the concept of journalists’ safety has three intertwined dimensions. First, journalists’ safety incorporates avoiding bodily harm (imprisonment, enforced disappearance, and so forth), and harassment, as well as economic and career threats. Second, in order to remain safe, journalists undertake various tactics including compromising the objectivity of news in a regime where security apparatus and pro-government journalists work in tandem to surveil and intimidate non-partisan journalists. Third, the tactics used by journalists decrease public faith in the media and the media can no longer play a watchdog role. We argue that one needs to reconceptualize the safety of journalists within these three intertwined dimensions. Media and Communication Vol. 8 2020 p. 27-36. Quasi-experimental research General communication journal Sexual violence Nonsexual crime Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold) NA NA NA Add
144. Marte Høiby and Mariateresa Garrido "Reconsidering Journalist Safety Training" Safety training courses and manuals are designed to provide journalists with guidance to assess and mitigate risk. In this article, we ask whether content of such training and guidance is informed by actual threats and risks relevant to journalists working in the field. Departing from our own previous research about threats and dangers faced by journalists working in conflict zones or covering dangerous beats, and a review of the literature addressing the issue of safety manuals for journalists, we evaluate the content of five safety-training documents. Of these, two are descriptions of internationally-focused safety courses, two are safety manuals produced for a national audience, and one is a handbook focusing specifically on safety for women reporters in the Arab region. The purpose is to identify various aspects of safety addressed in training and manuals offered to locally and internationally-deployed journalists—and illuminate how they may differ in focus and approach. Through a comparison of the content of the selected manuals and course descriptions, we conclude that these trainings and manuals to some extent address specific variations in context, but that detailed attention towards gender differences in risk and other personal characteristics are not given equivalent weight. The international training focuses excessively on physical environment issues (such as those of a ‘hostile environment’), while the manuals with national or regional focus are practice-oriented and largely take a journalistic point of departure. We argue that training and manuals can benefit from considering both these aspects for risk assessment, but recommend that addressing journalistic practice and personal resources is fundamental to all journalist safety training since it is at the personal, practical, and media organisational levels that the mitigation encouraged by these trainings can happen. Media and Communication Vol. 8 2020 p. 68-77. Content Analysis General communication journal Non-specific/general NA Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold) NA NA NA Add
145. Høiby, M. and Ottosen, R. "Journalism under pressure in conflict zones: A study of journalists and editors in seven countries" Media, War & Conflict 2017 . Quasi-experimental research General communication journal War Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold) Add
146. Trond Idås and Kristin Skare Orgeret and Klas Backholm "#MeToo, Sexual Harassment and Coping Strategies in Norwegian Newsrooms" This article, through conducting a study of the sexual harassment (SH) of media workers, investigates the extent and types of SH experienced by the editorial staff of Norwegian newsrooms at the time the #MeToo campaign arrived in Norway, and what effects such experiences have on journalists’ professional lives. We are also interested in what Norwegian media houses are doing to address these challenges. The leading research question consists of three interrelated parts: To what extent are journalists exposed to SH? What coping strategies do they use? How can newsrooms be better prepared to fight SH, from the perspective of the safety of journalists? A mixed methods approach, which combines findings from a quantitative questionnaire with qualitative in-depth interviews, was used to answer these questions. The findings show that female, young, and temporary media workers are significantly more frequently targeted than others and that those who had experienced SH handled the situation using avoiding strategies to a significantly greater extent than those who had only been exposed to unwanted attention experiences. The findings feed into a discussion of what strategies media houses can use to be better prepared in the fight against SH. Media and Communication Vol. 8 2020 p. 57-67. Quasi-experimental research General communication journal Sexual violence Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold) Add
147. Gözde Ikizer, A. and Nuray Karanci & Sibel Kocaoglan "Working in the Midst of Trauma: Exposure and Coping in News Camera Operators" News camera operators are among the first responders to crises, emergencies, and other human suffering. This study is an attempt in the literature to explore trauma exposure and coping in news camera operators who are likely to experience primary and secondary traumatization simultaneously. Qualitative data from 20 news camera operators were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Two superordinate themes emerged: (a) physical and psychological impact and (b) strategies of coping. The results highlight challenges associated with the work of news camera operators. Mental health support and training for this group of media professionals are strongly recommended at the undergraduate and/or organizational levels. Journal of Loss and Trauma Vol. 24 2019 p. 356-368. Quasi-experimental research Trauma specific journal Non-specific/general Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold) Television Add
148. Sofia Iordanidou and Emmanouil Takas, Leonidas Vatikiotis and Pedro García "Constructing Silence: Processes of Journalistic (Self-)Censorship during Memoranda in Greece, Cyprus, and Spain" What are to be considered as threats against journalism? Whereas the literature on safety of journalists mainly discusses threats as part of armed conflicts, this article studies how other kinds of conflicts such as economic strangulation and the viability threat represent threats against journalists’ work and safety. It argues that acts of intimidation directed against journalists represent an attack on democracy itself as they have the effect of limiting the freedom of expression. The aim of this study is to explore how journalists operate in such a conflict and under such uncertainty, as an implication of (political) pressure caused by the politics of Memoranda in Greece, Cyprus, and Spain. The comparative analysis focuses on possible changes in the processes of message construction and in the journalistic practices of the participants, exploring if, how, and to what extent these changes were imposed to journalists directly or indirectly. Media and Communication Vol. 8 2020 p. 15-26. Quasi-experimental research General communication journal Nonsexual crime Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold) Add
149. Mariska Kleemans and Roos Dohmen, Luise F Schlindwein, Sanne L Tamboer, Rebecca NH de Leeuw, Moniek Buijzen "Children’s cognitive responses to constructive television news" Given the importance of news in preparing children for their role as active citizens in society, insight into how negative news can be delivered to children most optimally is warranted. In this regard, this study examined the usefulness of constructive news reporting (i.e. solution-based news stories including positive emotions). An experiment (N = 281 children, 9–13 years old) was conducted to investigate how constructive, compared to nonconstructive, news reporting affected recall of television news, and whether negative emotions elicited by this news mediated this relation. Analyses of covariance revealed that children in the constructive condition displayed a lower recall of the general information about the event. In contrast, their recall of constructive stories was better compared to the recall of comparable, but nonconstructive, stories by children in the nonconstructive condition. Fear and sadness elicited by the news did not mediate the relation between news reporting style and recall. Instead, constructive reporting directly induced smaller increases in fear and sadness than nonconstructive reporting. To conclude, the negative aspects of the news event were less prominently available in memory of children exposed to constructive news. Journalism Vol. 20 2019 p. 568-582. Quasi-experimental research General communication journal Sexual violence Nonsexual crime Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold) Internet news Add
150. JESLYN LEMKE "Pushing a Political Agenda: Harassment of French and African Journalists in Côte d’Ivoire’s 2010–2011 National Election Crisis" Côte d’Ivoire’s national election in 2010 descended into civil war into 2011 when incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo refused to concede the presidency to the internationally recognized winner Alassane Ouattara. The three political players in this election—the parties of Ouattara, Gbagbo, and France—had deep economic incentives in the outcome of Côte d’Ivoire’s election. Drawing from interviews conducted in 2016 and 2017 in Côte d’Ivoire with 24 journalists, findings show that journalists endured many acts of harassment from political parties trying to manipulate the news coverage of this election. I argue that the mechanisms observed in Côte d’Ivoire’s electoral crisis reflect how conditions of war activate informal power alliances within the political–economic dynamics of a Global South nation in the postcolonial era. These alliances push on media in ways they would not normally during peacetime. Côte d’Ivoire is a former colony of France. It is a part of “Françafrique,” a region of 12 French-speaking African countries where France still retains considerable economic impact and has intervened militarily dozens of times since the colonies were emancipated in the early 1960s. International Journal of Communication Vol. 14 2020 p. 472-490. Quasi-experimental research General communication journal War Nonsexual crime Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold) Add
151. Yadira Nieves-Pizarro and Bruno Takahashi, Manuel Chávez "When Everything Else Fails: Radio Journalism during Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico" In an era of over-reliance on online media technologies in disasters this research assesses the journalistic functions played by Puerto Rican AM radio stations in Hurricane Maria. Throughout the emergency there was total loss of electricity and communications nonetheless local radio maintained operations. This study is one of a few that explore journalistic practices during a disaster in the context of a Spanish-language media system. Through a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews to radio workers researchers found that in spite of having preparedness plans the magnitude of the disaster led to improvisation and the embracing of alternative journalistic roles. While radio workers were also victims of the disaster, they were forced to take on first responder roles. 2018 . Content Analysis Quasi-experimental research Journalism specific journal Mass disaster Adult Framing of traumatic coverage Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold) Radio broadcast Add
152. Lindsay Palmer and Jad Melki "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 Vol. 19 2018 p. 126-142. Quasi-experimental research Journalism specific journal War Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Other Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold) Add
153. Natalee Seely "Journalists and mental health The psychological toll of covering everyday trauma" Journalists are often first responders and eyewitnesses to violent news events. Trauma reporting can take its toll, resulting in mental health effects. Addressing the solution requires understanding the problem. This multimethod study used a national survey of journalists (N = 254) that shows that as trauma coverage frequency and intensity increase, so does the severity of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. In-depth interviews offer personal narratives of effects from traumatic reporting. Common coping mechanisms include disconnecting from work in various ways, purging emotions, talking about trauma, and remembering their jobs’ higher purposes. Suggestions include humanizing the newsroom and teaching about trauma reporting. Newspaper Research Journal Vol. 40 2019 p. 239-259. Quasi-experimental research Journalism specific journal Non-specific/general Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) PTSD Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold) Depression Anxiety Print Tips for coping with trauma Add
154. Gerald Walulya and Goretti L. Nassanga "Democracy at Stake: Self-Censorship as a Self-Defence Strategy for Journalists" The media play an essential role of informing and mobilising voters as well as facilitating a two-way communication process between citizens and those vying for electoral offices during elections. This allows citizens to get information on various issues from the contenders, which largely informs their electoral decisions. In most less democratic societies however, this media function is increasingly becoming difficult to fulfil due to challenges journalists encounter during electoral processes. Using Uganda’s last general elections in 2016 as a case study, this article discusses the safety of journalists during elections basing on findings from a bigger study on the media coverage of the 2016 elections, supplemented by in-depth interviews with 10 journalists who covered the elections. In addition, the analysis makes reference to the 2016 Uganda Press Freedom Index. Findings of this research show that journalists face more safety and security risks during elections particularly perpetuated by state security agencies. Compared to previous elections, the 2016 elections also recorded the highest number of victims who were female journalists. This article highlights key challenges journalists face during elections, which include: state harassment and intimidation, arrest of those considered critical to the state, and denial of access to important information. Due to concerns of their own safety, journalists have responded to the insecure work environment by engaging in self-censorship, thereby giving biased or limited information to the public. The article identifies gaps that media development agencies can help to close if the media are to play their rightful role in a democratic society, especially during the electoral process. Media and Communication Vol. 8 2020 p. 5-14. Quasi-experimental research Other General communication journal Nonsexual crime Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Censorship (self & other) NA Add
155. Melanie Wilkes and Heather Carey and Rebecca Florisson "The Looking Glass: Mental health in the UK film, TV and cinema industry" 2020 . Other Other Non-specific/general Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold) Television Tips for coping with trauma Add
156. Dworznik-Hoak "Making sense of Harvey An exploration of how journalists find meaning in disaster" Thirty journalists who covered hurricane Harvey and who also lived in affected areas were interviewed to explore how journalists make sense of and cope with their exposure to hurricane-related trauma. Baumeister’s four needs for meaning framework was used as a guide to uncover how journalists used justification, purpose, efficacy, and self-worth to find meaning in their traumatic experiences. Journalistic mission and purpose were strong drivers for making sense of hurricane coverage hardships. Justification and efficacy helped journalists reframe traumatic encounters. Self-worth helped reframe experiences as furthering career goals. The article discusses implications for news managers and journalists. Newspaper Research Journal Vol. 41 2020 Sage p. 160-178. Quasi-experimental research Journalism specific journal Mass disaster Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) PTSD Other NA NA NA Add
157. Feinstein, Anothony and Bennis Pavisian, Hannah Storm "Journalists covering the refugee and migration crisis are affected by moral injury not PTSD" Objective: To explore the emotional health of journalists covering the migrations of refugees across Europe. Design: Descriptive. A secure website was established and participants were given their unique identifying number and password to access the site. Setting: Newsrooms and in the field. Participants: Responses were received from 80 (70.2%) of 114 journalists from nine news organisations. Main outcome measures: Symptoms of PTSD (Impact of Events Scale-revised), depression (Beck Depression Inventory-Revised) and moral injury (Moral Injury Events Scale-revised). Results: Symptoms of PTSD were not prominent, but those pertaining to moral injury and guilt were. Moral injury was associated with being a parent (p ¼.031), working alone (p ¼.02), a recent increase in workload (p ¼.017), a belief that organisational support is lacking (p ¼.046) and poor control over resources needed to report the story (p ¼.027). A significant association was found between guilt and moral injury (p ¼.01) with guilt more likely to occur in journalists who reported covering the migrant story close to home (p ¼.011) and who divulged stepping outside their role as a journalist to assist migrants (p ¼.014). Effect sizes (d) ranged from .47 to .71. Conclusions: On one level, the relatively low scores on conventional psychometric measures of PTSD and depression are reassuring. However, our data confirm that moral injury is a different construct from DSM-defined trauma response syndromes, one that potentially comes with its own set of long-term maladaptive behaviours and adjustment problems. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Vol. 9 2018 p. 1-7. Quasi-experimental research General psychology journal torture/human rights Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) PTSD Posttraumatic stress symptoms (subthreshold) Other NA NA NA Add
158. Feinstein, Anothony and Jonas Osmann, Bennis Pavisian "Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Journalists Covering War and Conflict: A Study Comparing Photographers With Print Reporters" The hazards of conflict journalism leave journalists at heightened risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). What is not known is whether photographers differ from print reporters in this regard, given the differences in how they work in zones of conflict. The aim of the study therefore was to compare symptoms of PTSD and depression in these two groups. Demographic and behavioral data on 91 photographers and 240 print reporters were pooled from a series of studies investigating the emotional health of frontline journalists. Symptoms of PTSD and depression were recorded with the Impact of Events Scale–Revised (IES-R) and Beck Depression Inventory–Revised, respectively. Results revealed that the photographers were younger (  .487) and less educated (d  .481) than their print colleagues. They endorsed statistically fewer Avoidance (  .53), Intrusion (  .378), and Arousal (  .534) symptoms of PTSD on the IES-R, but scores on the Beck Depression Inventory–Revised did not differ between groups. A regression analysis revealed that group membership (photographer vs. print reporter) and sex independently predicted scores on all three subscales of the IES-R. Notwithstanding the a prior hypothesis that conflict photographers would show more symptoms of PTSD than print reporters, given their need to get physically closer to potentially traumatic events as part of their work, the converse was found. Possible reasons for this finding are discussed Traumtology Vol. 26 2020 American Psychological Association p. 35-39. Quasi-experimental research Trauma specific journal War Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) PTSD Print Photojournalism NA NA NA Add
159. Gonzalez, Ruben "Mexican Journalism Under Siege. The Impact of Anti-press Violence on Reporters, Newsrooms, and Society" As a consequence of the endemic anti-press violence, Mexican journalists work under dangerous conditions. The constant assaults have eroded the practice of free journalism and thus, the people’s right to know. Drawing on a set of semi-structured interviews with news workers from the most violent states across the country, this study emphasises that this phenomenon has a threefold impact at the individual, organisational, and societal levels. That is, those attacks affect the victims, the newsrooms they work for, and society. The findings also point that journalists throughout the nation share similar perceptions regarding these implications, because there is a generalised risk that they have to constantly face. Journalism Practice Vol. 15 2021 Routledge p. 308-328. Quasi-experimental research Journalism specific journal Nonsexual crime NA Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Censorship (self & other) Other NA NA NA Add
160. Kotisova, Johana "When the crisis comes home: Emotions, professionalism, and reporting on 22 March in Belgian journalists’ narratives" On the morning of 22 March 2016, three coordinated suicide bombings planned by Daesh occurred in Brussels. Those Belgian reporters who commonly travel to conflict zones and disaster sites had to report on a ‘combat zone event’ that was happening at the place where they, their families, and friends lived. Their subjective experience of witnesses, actors, and even indirect victims merged with their professional tasks. The traditional journalistic commitment to objectivity – that is, detachment, impartiality, fairness, or professional distance – that remains to be a cornerstone of journalists’ professional self-perception and an assumed source of their authority, was challenged. The article seeks to explore the aftermath of the unprecedentedly close terrorist attacks among Belgian journalists. Based on in-depth, narrative interviews with 10 Belgian ‘crisis reporters’, the article addresses the following questions: In which sense did the reporters experience the attacks as different from other crises? How did they deal with the unusually complex relationship between their personal and professional identities? What form(s) of objectivity did they employ and (how) did their work on emotional boundaries interfere with such a norm? The findings show that the radical, ‘surreal’ alteration of the reporters’ lifeworld resulted in a fundamental conflict between personal and professional identities. In turn, their rupture but inseparability helped to shape the objectivity-as-a-practice employed by the journalists on and after 22 March. Journalism Vol. 21 2020 p. 1710-1726. Quasi-experimental research Journalism specific journal Mass violence Adult Occupational health of journalists (negative consequences of reporting trauma) Other NA NA NA Add