Mass shootings challenge the skill, capacity and ethics of news professionals. Below please find tip sheets and other resources for journalists covering these tragedies.
The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies has released a briefing paper on the trauma of hate-based violence, reviewing existing research on its impacts and evaluating the mental health needs of targeted survivors and communities.
This comprehensive series offers a ground-level view of the effects of violence on children and their families, showing not only the psychological toll on young souls, but also the success stories, and scarce resources that are available to help. Judges described this package as a "brilliant body of work" comprised of a "thoughtful mix of beautifully executed stories." They recognized the "tremendous thought and planning" that went into the project, and the "incredible level of trust" the reporters built with the community after initially encountering much skepticism. Originally published by NOLA.com | The Times Picayune in June 2018.
This multimedia piece explores the violent death of Robert Adams, a 19-year old Inuit man in Arctic Canada, the impact of his death on his community, and his father’s subsequent fight for mental health services, coroner’s services, and justice system services for Inuit in the North. Judges described “Death in the Arctic” as a "truly impressive reporting feat" offering "rare insight into an isolated, chronically ignored community." They underscored the "intimacy" and "narrative force" of the project, calling it "profoundly moving and affecting," and the photography "stunning." Originally published by Radio Canada International – Eye on the Arctic on December 14, 2018.
Mass shootings challenge the skill, capacity and ethics of news professionals. Below are tip sheets and other resources for journalists covering these tragedies.
This meticulously reported series offers a ground level, panoramic view of the devastating and profound impact of gun violence on children's lives. The results, at once harrowing and revelatory, provide a fresh and compelling look at one of the most pressing issues of our time. Judges called this package a "remarkable series spanning multiple events of violence, each examined with unflinching clarity and emotional rawness." Originally published by The Washington Post between April - December, 2017.
Employing the highest standards of video production, “We Are Witnesses” captures the enormity of the jail-court-prison complex, while keeping an intense focus on the individual lives affected and provoking dialogue around criminal justice reform. Judges praised its “innovative” approach to storytelling, exploring “multifaceted trauma” from “many different angles,” and “refusing cliché at every level.” The series was created by The Marshall Project in partnership with Participant Media, The New Yorker, and Condé Nast Entertainment, and ran on both The Marshall Project and The New Yorker websites.
Seventeen students and teachers were killed by a gunman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Please consult our resources in covering this tragedy and its aftermath.
Seamus Kelters, who died suddenly on September 27, 2017, was an influential chronicler of Northern Ireland’s civil conflict and co-author of Lost Lives: The Story of the Men, Women and Children Who Died As A Result of the Northern Ireland Troubles. An early Dart Center Ochberg Fellow, he played a central role in the evolution of trauma-aware journalism. We asked several friends and colleagues for remembrances of Seamus and his work. Below, reflections and recollections by Susan McKay, Scott North, Donna DeCesare, Frank Ochberg, Joe Hight, Elana Newman, Gavin Rees and Bruce Shapiro. Scroll down for excerpts, and click to the right to read the full pieces.
Nieman Storyboard interviews Mother Jones reporter Mark Follman about his landmark investigation into the staggering price of the firearms epidemic: an estimated $229 billion a year.