Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma

A resource for journalists who cover violence

Asif Hassan / Getty

Pakistani journalists shout slogans during a protest against an attack on television anchor Hamid Mir in Karachi on April 21, 2014. Mir, who hosts a prime-time current affairs talk show on the Geo News channel, was attacked while traveling by car to his office from the airport in Karachi.

Special Report

Inside the Deadly War Against Pakistan's Media

In his native Pakistan, investigative journalist Umar Cheema has endured kidnapping, torture, and intense criticism. Following his support of colleague Hamid Mir, who was nearly assassinated in April, Cheema reports that surveillance and harassment of him and his colleagues have markedly increased. This article was originally published by the Global Investigative Journalism Network.

Eric Gay / AP

A group of immigrants from Honduras and El Salvador who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally are stopped in Granjeno, Texas. Tackling what he has called a humanitarian crisis, President Barack Obama on Tuesday, July 8, 2014 asked Congress for $3.7 billion to cope with a tide of minors from Central America who are illegally crossing the U.S. border.

Special Report

As Border Crisis Emerges, Resources For Journalists

The number of unaccompanied minors attempting to cross the U.S. southern border has spiked, causing a growing humanitarian crisis. The Dart Center has a host of resources for journalists covering this important issue.

Khaled Hassan

Jihad, a six year old child, lives in a slum by the railroad in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He lost one of his legs in an accident by the tracks in 2005. The World Bank estimates that disabled people make up 15-20% of the poor in developing countries.

Announcement

Applications Now Open for 2014-2015 Ochberg Fellowship

The Ochberg Fellowship, now in its 16th year, is the Dart Center's flagship program for senior and mid-career journalists who wish to deepen their knowledge of emotional trauma and psychological injury, and improve reporting on violence, conflict and tragedy. The application deadline is October 1, 2014. Click here to apply.

Jung Yeon-Je / AFP/ Getty Images

People attend a memorial for the victims of the sunken South Korean ferry 'Sewol' at the Ansan Olympic memorial hall on April 28, 2014.

Chong-ae Lee on Korea's National Tragedy

The sinking of the Sewol ferry off the coast of South Korea in April was a tragedy felt around the world, leaving nearly 300 dead, most of them young students. As Korea struggles to comprehend the loss, Korean journalists are reckoning with the consequences of their own failings, and the trauma of bearing witness. Chong-ae Lee reports from Seoul.

Asmaa Waguih / Reuters

Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed (L to R), listen to the ruling at a court in Cairo June 23, 2014.

3 Al Jazeera Journalists Convicted

A six month courtroom drama that provoked an international outcry from journalists and human rights groups came to a shocking climax today in Cairo when an Egyptian court sentenced three al Jazeera journalists to long prison terms on charges of collaborating with terrorists to broadcast false reports.

Nina Berman / NOOR

Four photographers from the NOOR collective turned the walls of the Zaatari Syrian refugee camp in northern Jordan into a visual celebration of its residents.

Inside These Walls

When photographer and Columbia Journalism associate professor Nina Berman saw an aerial photograph of a sprawling Syrian refugee camp in northern Jordan, she hatched an idea for an innovative journalism project. Last December, she and her colleagues from the NOOR photo collective spent a week photographing some of its 100,000 residents—and plastering the camp's prison-like walls with their images.

Katie Orlinsky

Driving through Colonia Zapata, in Acapulco.

Corchado’s Hour Of Darkness

In an intensely personal interview for the Dart Center, Alfredo Corchado speaks to Michelle García about his hunt for the man who ordered his death, how he turned fear into strength, and the emotional struggles he faces from his work in Mexico, most recently chronicled in his memoir, Midnight in Mexico. With an exclusive photo essay by Katie Orlinsky.

Emine Ziyatdinova

Euromaidan protestors carried an injured man from Institutska Street, where the main clash with police took place on February 20, 2014.

In Depth

My Maidan: One Journalist's Story

When journalist Emine Ziyatdinova, a Crimean Tatar, returned to Ukraine earlier this year, she found herself covering a conflict that left one of her friends dead and forced her to conceal her identity. “I just smiled,” she says of an interview with a pro-Russian man. “I hated him so much.” A Q&A by Alan Chin with photos by Ziyatdinova.

Marcus Yam / Seattle Times

Faith leaders of the local ministerial association hold hands in a prayer circle before the start of the prayer service event for the communities affected Highway 530 mudslide, "Together Evening of Prayer," at Haller Middle School in Arlington, on Friday, April 4, 2014.

In Depth

Oso's Mudslide: Five Journalists Speak

On March 22, a massive mudslide washed over Oso, Washington, resulting in the deadliest landslide in United States history. At least 36 are confirmed dead, and seven remain unaccounted for. The Dart Center spoke with five journalists about the challenges of covering this tragedy. With photos by Marcus Yam.

“It makes you feel like you’re a prisoner in your own house, (the media) waiting for hours and keep knocking on your door and you tell them that you’re not prepared to give an interview and yet they keep pushing. And that should not be happening," said George Halvagis (back left), whose daughter Mersina was stabbed to death in 1997.

Announcement

Ethical Reporting on Traumatised People: New DVD

In conjunction with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Dart Centre Asia Pacific presents a new teaching video dealing with the treatment of news sources, "Getting it Right: Ethical Reporting on People Affected by Trauma." The project was developed to supplement teaching materials for journalism educators.

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Tips & Tools

Dart Blog

Thu, 07/24/2014 - 12:42pm

Journalist's Resource Research Roundup: Sexual Assault on U.S. College Campuses

In response to the growing problem of sexual assault on college campuses, the Journalist’s Resource project based at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy released a roundup of oft-overlooked research and recommendations for journalists. See the full list here. More »

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Mon, 07/21/2014 - 7:00pm

Carlos Dada on the Border Crisis: A Hellish Path

The past several weeks has seen a sharp spike in news coverage of the humanitarian crisis on the United States-Mexico border. On WNYC's "On the Media", Carlos Dada, co-founder and editor of the El Salvadoran newspaper El Faro, spoke with Bob Garfield about the crisis and what the US media is missing. More »

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Wed, 07/16/2014 - 1:43pm

IRE Audio: Dart Panels on Veterans & Human Rights in Latin America

At the 2014 Investigative Reporters & Editors Conference, the Dart Center hosted panels on investigating veterans issues and human rights in the Americas. Full audio from the panels is available here. More »

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Mon, 06/30/2014 - 12:15pm

Amnesty International Launches Open Source App to Fight Attacks, Kidnappings and Torture

Amnesty International has launched a new, open-source app to help those facing attack, kidnapping or torture. More »

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