Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma

Photo: Carlos Javier Ortiz

Even as crime rates hit record lows in cities across the country, gun homicides, gang violence and dating abuse among young people remain stunningly high. Last year, there were more than 4,000 violent incidents in Philadelphia's schools, the majority of them involving students not yet in high school.

Youth violence represents a serious public health problem for all communities. It challenges health professionals and educators, law enforcement and courts, community organizations and government agencies.  It also challenges news professionals, whether health and education reporters, cops and court reporters, feature writers, investigative reporters or journalists covering schools, families and neighborhoods. To help journalists and news organizations in the greater Philadelphia area strengthen their coverage of this crucial public health issue, the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma based at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is presenting a two-day workshop: “Getting it Right: Reporting on Youth Violence.”

(You can find the official event page here.)

The workshop, supported by funding from the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation and additional support from the Stoneleigh Foundation, will take place December 9 and 10, 2011 at WHYY in Philadelphia. It will feature a wide range of national and local mental health and policy experts, award-winning journalists, educators and violence prevention advocates and grassroots activists It will include background briefings as well as specialized reporting skills training to enhance journalists’ capacity to report on youth violence knowledgeably, ethically and effectively.

The workshop will:

• Serve as a forum for improving journalists’ knowledge of critical issues such as mental, physical health and environmental health impacts  of  youth violence; innovations in prevention and intervention; social, economic and legal implications, and responses by schools, public health institutions, and community and faith-based organizations
• Explore new research, reporting ideas and best practices with leading mental health, policy and prevention experts and award-winning journalists
• Confront challenges — and identify opportunities — that exist for journalists pursuing these stories with limited resources
• Provide practical tools to enable journalists to successfully produce stories that examine the problem of youth violence and serve to educate and encourage prevention.

Participation is open to working reporters, editors, photographers, producers or bloggers for print, broadcast or online media based in or around the Greater Philadelphia area.  If you are interested in attending and live outside Philadelphia, you may register but will be responsible for your travel and accommodations. Staff, contract and freelance journalists are eligible. Space is limited — please register early!

There is no cost to attend this workshop.

Registration Information

The registration deadline is December 5, 2011.

To register, please email Kate Black with your contact information (name, address, city, state, zip, phone, email) along with a brief letter of interest that:

• Describes how and why this workshop is relevant to you and your work.
• Identifies two issues related to youth violence of particular interest to you.
• Explains one or more challenges you have encountered in pursuing stories on this topic or related ones.

If you have any questions or need additional information, email Kate Black.