Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma

A resource for journalists who cover violence

Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

A volunteer places crosses symbolizing grave markers on the National Mall in Washington as part of a 24-hour vigil commemorating the thousands who have lost their lives to gun violence since the Sandy Hook School shooting.

Announcement

Apply Now: Covering Gun Violence

On January 8, 2011, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in Tucscon, Arizona, in a tragedy that killed six people and injured twelve others. Four years later, 86 Americans die of firearm related injuries each day – a rate 20 times higher than that of other developed countries. To help journalists and news organizations in the Southwest improve their reporting on guns and gun violence, the Dart Center is offering a two-day workshop April 17-18 in Phoenix.

Leila Navidi / Las Vegas Sun

From the 2014 Dart Award Winner "Grace Through Grief." Arturo Martinez and his two young sons. An intruder broke into his house and sexually assaulted and murdered his wife and daughter while the rest of the family slept.

Announcement

Call for Entries: 2015 Dart Awards

The Dart Awards for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma honor innovative, ethical and effective reporting of human tragedy across all media platforms. Judges will make two awards; each carrying a $5000 cash prize. Entries must be submitted through the online application system by January 30, 2015 at 11:59 pm EST.

Joe Raedle / Getty Images

A young girl prays with her family during a service held under tents in place of the Sacré-Coeur church that was destroyed five years ago by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that killed as many as 316,000 people in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

In Depth

Five Years, Or Three Centuries?

Amy Wilentz, journalist and author of "Farewell, Fred Voodoo: A Letter From Haiti," reflects on the five-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. "The problem lies in that passive voice of the hoped for results: that someone else is fixing Haiti, that someone else can build it back better, that scores of nice, good-hearted, kindly white people can fix the world’s first black republic," she writes. "Haiti is in crisis."

Christophe Ena / AP Images

Demonstrators hold signs that read "I am Charlie," during a demonstration in Paris on Wednesday.

In Depth

17 Killed in Paris Terror Attacks

Masked gunmen burst into the Paris offices of a French satirical newspaper on Wednesday morning, killing 12 people. On Friday, police responded to a hostage situation involving the suspects, and a separate hostage-taking at a kosher supermarket in Paris. Three suspects have been killed, and a fourth remains at large. Four hostages and a policeman are also dead. Please consult our tips and resources on as you cover this evolving story.

Ramon Espinosa / AP: Students jump a fence to get closer to the front row during a show by Cuban singer David Blanco, at the end of a march against terrorism in Havana, Cuba in September 2014. Youth marched through downtown Havana in protest against the United States policy towards the island nation.

Covering Cuba in an Era of Change

President Obama today announced that the United States will restore relations with Cuba for the first time in a half-century. On October 16, 17 and 18, the Dart Center and Columbia Journalism School hosted a conference to deepen journalists' reporting on issues involving Cuba and Cuban-American relations featuring historians, scholars, economists, policymakers and award-winning journalists. Full conference video is now available.

Nonoy Espina / AsPac Senior Fellow

Following Typhoon Haiyan, fishermen in Bacolod City in the central Philippines brave stormy shallows to pull in bamboo poles from their damaged fish traps.

Announcement

Applications Open for 2015 Dart AsPac Fellowship

Online applications are now open for the 2015 Dart Asia Pacific Fellowships, a unique five-day seminar programme for veteran journalists, editors and freelancers based in Asia or the Pacific and who want to deepen their knowledge of emotional trauma and improve coverage of violence, conflict and tragedy. The application deadline is February 9, 2015. Click here to apply now.

Mohammad Sajjad / AP Images

A Pakistani man comforts a student standing at the bedside of a boy who was injured in a Taliban attack on a school, at a local hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan

Special Report

145 Killed in Taliban Attack on School: Journalist Resources

A Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar, Pakistan on Tuesday morning left 145 people dead, more than 100 of them children. Among the dead were nine Taliban gunmen, acccording to the army press office. We encourage you to consult our growing body of tips and resources on covering violence and tragedy of this scale.

Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo

After reporting her rape to the University of Virginia Sexual Assault Board, Kathryn Russell was ordered not to speak with anyone about her case. The secrecy surrounding university legal processes is only one of the challenges facing reporters who write about campus sexual assault.

Interview

Covering Campus Sexual Assault

Is sexual assault the best-kept secret on U.S. college campuses? In 2009, a wide-ranging muckraking series by the nonprofit Center for Public Integrity revealed a disturbing culture of silence surrounding rape among students and institutional barriers to those victims who seek justice. In this piece, Center for Public Integrity staff writer Kristen Lombardi explains how she pierced the shroud of secrecy surrounding rape on college campuses.

John Moore / Getty Images: A woman crawls towards the body of her sister as Ebola burial team members take her sister Mekie Nagbe, 28, for cremation in Monrovia, Liberia.

Ebola: Covering a Modern Plague

The Ebola epidemic in Africa is the worst health emergency in recent history. It has killed more than 4,000 people and prompted public hysteria. Just as health professionals struggle to contain this disease, reporters are charting new protocols in safety and ethics. On December 3, media and medical experts joined at Columbia Journalism School to discuss the challenges of covering this calamity. Full event video is now available.

Top, L to R: Martin Evans, Abigail Jones, Safiullah Gul, Amanda Rivkin;
Middle, L to R: Amy McQuire, Dina Kraft, Rawya Rageh, Janine di Giovanni;
Bottom, L to R: Imogen Lamb, Trenton Daniel, Kelly McEvers, Dusan Vranic, Maria Cleidejane Esperidião.

Announcement

13 New Ochberg Fellows Named

We are pleased to announce the latest cohort of Ochberg Fellows. The 2014 Fellows include outstanding senior and mid-career journalists in all media, representing eight nations and five continents. "Despite terrifically diverse backgrounds and beats – from social issues to war and civil conflict to disaster – they share a commitment to thoughtful, compassionate coverage of people and places affected by violence,” said Bruce Shapiro, Dart's Executive Director.

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Tips & Tools

Dart Blog

Wed, 12/17/2014 - 6:52am

In Aftermath of Sydney Siege, Resources for Journalists

A hostage situation in Sydney ended early Tuesday morning with two hostages and the gunman dead. In the aftermath, we share resources for reporters on interviewing victims and survivors, self-care and working with reporters exposed to traumatic events.

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Fri, 12/12/2014 - 8:18am

You Can Help! Survey to Understand Occupational Stress

Dr. Elana Newman and her staff have developed a confidential online survey designed to better understand the various forms of occupational risk and stress faced by working journalists. The survey is available in English and in Spanish. More »

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Thu, 11/20/2014 - 8:29am

Dart at 2014 News Xchange

By Jeanny Gearing

In collaboration with Columbia Journalism School, the Dart Center hosted a 40-person roundtable discussion and the closing reception at the fourteenth annual News Xchange conference in Prague. More »

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Mon, 11/10/2014 - 4:39am

Protecting the Messengers: Rethinking News Safety

A feature story in The Citizen spotlights the increased risks for journalists in the Middle East, and the challenges faced by news organizations as they rethink measures for the physical and mental well-being of journalists. More »

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