Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma

Japan's Triple Disaster: Resources for Journalists

Links to resources in Japanese and English for journalists covering Japan's March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant crisis. Includes a Q&A with disaster expert Irwin Redlener, M.D., an article on Japanese cultural identity from Gavin Rees, and a comprehensive disaster reporting guide from reporter Yoichi Shimatsu.

A Seismic Jolt: Then the Grim Task Begins

By Gavin Rees

No country is better prepared for earthquakes than Japan. But as the death toll rises from the massive quake and damaged nuclear plants bring more peril, journalists will play a key role in how people make sense of the disaster.

Earthquake Advice From One Who's Been There

By Trina McLellan

Stay empathetic, stow your ego and keep focused on finding great stories: award-winning photographer Patrick Hamilton's experiences covering quakes in Papua, New Guinea are relevant to newsgatherers working in the Christchurch quake zone.

Facing Down Fear

By Huáscar Robles Carrasquillo

As a seasoned photographer coolly documents the earthquake in Haiti's dreadful consequences, a Dart Society writer grapples with the inevitable emotional distress.

Haiti's Misery

By Joan Connell

In the wake of a devastating earthquake in Haiti, tools for in-country reporters and local journalists to cover the story.

Life and Death in Kashmir

By Syed Nazakat

Along the Line of Control that marks the border between India and Pakistan, a senior journalist's life is one nightmare after another.

Untold Aftershocks

By Zhao Xue

A year after the Sichuan earthquake, Chinese journalists are still burying their pain.

Sichuan and Beyond

By Stan Alcorn

One year ago, a massive earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale killed tens of thousands and displaced millions in the Sichuan province of China. In the immediate aftermath, the Chinese government permitted journalists unprecedented access to the devastation. Stories of collapsed schools and miraculous survival brought the world closer to the rural villages of China, but the work took its toll on the storytellers. More »

Reporting on the Earthquake

For those covering the natural disaster in Italy, Dart Centre Europe has assembled tip sheets, advice and reflection from journalists on past catastrophes and other resources of relevance.

Covering Two Catastrophes

Resources for Journalists

For those reporting on the natural disasters in China and Myanmar, the Dart Center has assembled tip sheets, advice and reflection from journalists on past catastrophes and other resources of relevance.

A Call for Emotional Literacy

A Report From the Hannover Trauma & Journalism Conference

By Maria Benning

Journalists, editors and trauma specialists meeting for Germany’s first-ever conference on trauma and journalism have called for the universal training of journalists in the skills of emotional literacy and trauma awareness.

Trauma und Journalismus—Eine Emotionale Alphabetisierung tut Not

By Maria Benning

Trauma ist griechisch und heißt Wunde. Trauma und Journalismus – ein Thema für verwundete Journalisten also? Für Dünnhäutige und"Weicheier", die den harten Anforderungen der Medienbranche am Ende doch nicht so ganz gewachsen sind? Irrtum. Traumatisiert werden kann jeder. Das ist inzwischen wissenschaftlich nachgewiesen. Ein schreckliches Ereignis kann Berufsanfänger aus der Bahn werfen, aber auch alte Hasen mit 30 Jahren Erfahrung. Der seinem Image nach abgebrühte Kriegsreporter gehört ebenso zur Risikogruppe wie der Lokaljournalist, dessen kleine Welt heil sein soll - und es nicht ist.

A Question of Faith in the Face of Disaster

By Emma-Jane Kirby

Emma-Jane Kirby talks about how reporting on the two earthquakes that hit the small Italian village of San Giuliano di Puglia in 2002 made her question her faith.