Support the Dart Center this #GivingTuesday
In a skyscraper four miles from the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma’s office, a president-elect is preparing for inauguration, after a campaign in which journalists were threatened and harassed, ejected from press conferences, kicked, choked, and struck by stones. Across the U.S., a wave of fear has swept through immigrant and minority communities; bigotry directed at Muslims, Jews, women and the LGBT community has found open expression. Around the world, fevered anti-immigrant, anti-refugee and anti-humanitarian sentiment is roiling politics.
On #GivingTuesday, I am asking for your support to help news professionals meet the challenge of these unsettled and unsettling times. At the Dart Center our job is to connect the constantly-evolving science of trauma with the highest standards of journalistic inquiry, ethics and storytelling, and to help journalists worldwide remain resilient, compassionate chroniclers of violence, conflict, tragedy and their aftermath.
That job has never been more urgent. America is still reeling from mass murders in Charleston, San Bernardino and Orlando, police shootings of unarmed citizens and fatal attacks on police officers. The immediate consequences and lingering aftermath of violence are central to today's news agenda, whether it is the siege of Aleppo or a fragile peace in Colombia, mass murders of drug users in the Philippines or the epochal wave of refugees sweeping Europe.
I remain optimistic about the power of trauma-informed journalism to make a difference. At its best, honest and rigorous reporting is a powerful antidote to violence, and stands as a bulwark against scapegoating, terrorism, racism and bullying. But reporters need your help to get these stories right.
Please consider a gift in support of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma's ongoing work. To make a contribution (fully tax-deductible in the U.S.), visit the secure Columbia Journalism School online donation site. In the "Select a Designation" drop-down menu choose "Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma" and follow the online prompts. You can make a one-time or recurring gift. We are grateful for whatever amount you can contribute.
Thank you, and best wishes for the holiday season.
Bruce Shapiro
Executive Director