Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma

Children and Media Coverage of Trauma

By Christina Cantrell and Elana Newman

An overview of current research on the short- and long-term impacts of media coverage of tragedy on children, as well as aggravating risk factors and suggestions for future research.

Covering Trauma: Impact on Journalists

By River Smith and Elana Newman

An overview of current research on the occupational hazards for journalists covering traumatic events, the risk factors that aggravate those effects and some suggestions for mitigating those factors.

Self-Study Unit 4: The First 24 Hours

IV. Coping Strategies for Victims

The first 24 hours after a traumatic event can be a time of extremely high psychological stress for everyone involved — victims, their families, rescue personnel, medical staff and others. Often left out of this picture of sufferers, however, are the journalists who give witness to tragic situations so that others who are not on the scene have a sense of what happened and what impact it has had (and will continue to have) on the community.

Tragedies & Journalists

IV. The Journalist

By Joe Hight and Frank Smyth

Know your limits. If you've been given a troublesome assignment that you feel you cannot perform, politely express your concerns to your supervisor. Tell the supervisor that you may not be the best person for the assignment. Explain why.

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PTSD 101

The Syndrome

By Frank Ochberg

PTSD is three reactions at once, all caused by an event that terrifies, horrifies or renders one helpless.

Self-Study Unit 2: Covering Terrorism

Sources and Resources

By Elana Newman and Chris Bull

Sources and resources for Self-Study Unit 2: Covering Terrorism

Self-Study Unit 1: Journalism & Trauma

Sources and Resources

Sources and resources for the trauma and journalism self-study unit.

Breaking Bad News

I. Key Points

The moment when someone is notified of the death of a close family member can be the most important in their lives.

Self-Study Unit 1: Journalism & Trauma

VI. Best Practices

Each year the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma recognizes outstanding newspaper coverage of victims and their experiences with the The Dart Award for Excellence in Reporting on Victims of Violence.

Psychology/Psychiatry

A list of academic publications with a primary focus on psychiatry and psychology.