Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma

"We're all meaning-hungry creatures. We're permanent citizens of the republic of trauma." Those words were spoken by Pete Hamill, among 110 news professionals, artists, researchers and scholars who gathered in February 2009 at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University to explore how traumatic events challenge journalists' storytelling.

Hamill's words now introduce a remarkable package of transcripts and resources from that conference, co-sponsored by the Dart Center and the Dart Society, just published in print and online as the Winter 2009 Nieman Reports.

The issue is too rich to sum up here — you'll need to visit the website and browse for yourself — but a near-random selection of highlights includes:

• Sri Lankan investigative journalist Sonali Samarasinghe Wickrematunge recalling the assassination of her husband Lasantha, one of 15 journalists murdered there since 2005.
• Historian and Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust and psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton speaking with NPR's Jacki Lyden about war, memory and national identity.
• Pete Hamill discussing navigating and narrating emotional injury with psychiatrist Jonathan Shay and psychologist (and Dart Center research director) Elana Newman.
• Poet, author and educator Luis Rodriguez talking about creating community in violent times.
• Brian Storm of MediaStorm, explaining his approach to visual storytelling in the 21st century.

At the conference's conclusion, Nieman Special Projects Manager Stefanie Friedhoff read a series of insightful snippets of conversation she heard during the three-day event, including Hammil's comment about the "republic of trauma." Another read: "There's no such thing as senseless violence. All violence makes sense. We have to get to the roots." The ideas found in the report provide plenty of tools for journalists who want to start digging.