NUJU Webinar Series: Session 2 - Reporting on Children Exposed to Violence
Telling the hardest stories: innovation in trauma-informed reporting
The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, in collaboration with the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, announces an essential professional development opportunity for Ukrainian journalists covering conflict and tragedy.
This specialized webinar series brings together seasoned reporters and expert trainers from the Dart Center's global network to share invaluable insights drawn from their extensive experience in conflict zones and crisis reporting. Through examining diverse international case studies, participants will discover innovative approaches to enhance their reporting practices while maintaining both professional effectiveness and personal resilience.
The program addresses critical aspects of trauma-informed journalism, including such key focus areas:
Maintaining fresh and focused reporting in prolonged crisis situations
Developing sensitive approaches to survivor and witness interviews, with special attention to children
Implementing strategies for newsroom managers to prevent emotional burnout
Crafting stories that honor the deceased while serving community needs
These sessions will take place on February 6, 19, and 26, 2025, providing Ukrainian journalists with advanced methodologies and practical insights that can be immediately implemented in their critical work documenting current events.
Participation is free.
Languages: English, Ukrainian (simultaneous translation)
Session 2: Reporting on children exposed to violence
Wednesday, February 19
Covering stories involving children in high-stakes situations presents unique challenges for journalists. The critical question emerges: How can reporters effectively discuss difficult events and memories while ensuring they minimize potential harm? Children deserve special consideration when exposed to the violence of wartime.
In this essential webinar, two distinguished Dart Center experts will share their extensive experience and insights. Participants will benefit from the combined expertise of a clinical psychologist with decades of experience working with child refugees and a journalist specializing in youth-focused reporting. Together, they will present practical, implementable strategies for conducting interviews with children and young people across different age groups. Understanding the distinct ways children process and respond to trauma—which differ significantly from adult responses—is fundamental to making more informed and protective choices when working with young subjects.
The speakers:
Dr Katherine Porterfield is a consulting psychologist at the Bellevue Hospital Program for Survivors of Torture and a founding staff member of the Journalist Trauma Support Network, an initiative at the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University. Dr. Porterfield has provided clinical care to adults, children and families who have experienced war and refugee trauma and torture for over 25 years.
Dr. Porterfield was the Chair of the American Psychological Association's Task Force on the Psychosocial Effects of War on Children and Families Who Are Refugees from Armed Conflict Residing in the United States and regularly consults on issues pertaining to trauma and torture, including in cases at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center, in US federal and state courts, and the International Criminal Court.
For more information: https://dartcenter.org/about/people/katherine-porterfield-phd
Irene Caselli is a multimedia reporter and writer, with over 15 years of experience in radio, TV, and print, now focusing on early childhood, reproductive rights, and carers. She is also a senior advisor for the Early Childhood Reporting Initiative at the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University.
For a decade, Caselli was a foreign correspondent in Latin America, reporting for the BBC, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the New York Times, and others. In January 2021, she launched her own newsletter, The First 1,000 Days, where she continues her writing about the first 1,000 days, the foundational period of our lives that is too often overlooked.
For more information: https://dartcenter.org/about/people/irene-caselli
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The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) is the largest professional media organization in Ukraine. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the NUJU has been actively working to support journalists in combat zones by providing protective equipment, conducting safety training, and offering psychological support. The Union also consistently advocates for journalists' rights at both national and international levels, documents violations of freedom of speech, and promotes the development of independent media in Ukraine. The NUJU's key emergency response mechanism is the network of Journalists' Solidarity Centers.
The Dart Centre is a network of journalists, filmmakers and mental health experts dedicated to the ethical and informed coverage of violence and trauma. A selection of our resources in Ukrainian can be found at https://dartcenter.org.ua
The project is developed and implemented by Dart Center Europe in partnership with UNESCO with the support of Japan. This project is part of UNESCO's broader efforts to ensure the safety of journalists and freedom of expression in Ukraine.