Mass shootings challenge the skill, capacity and ethics of news professionals. Below please find tip sheets and other resources for journalists covering these tragedies.
By Robin Gurwitch, Elana Newman, Alyssa Rippy & Greg Leskin
“Whoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then let him change it with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart."
- Prophet Mohammed
Mass shootings challenge the skill, capacity and ethics of news professionals. Below are tip sheets and other resources for journalists covering these tragedies.
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.
Covering terrorism presents myriad challenges for journalists. How can stories of victims and survivors contribute to the public's understanding of current issues while treating those left reeling with dignity and respect? What responsibility do journalists have in helping audiences understand the motivations of a perpetrator of violence? Here, three experts offer advice on covering traumatic experiences as they relate to radicalisation and terrorism.
A tractor-trailer slammed into a large crowd at a Christmas market in central Berlin on Monday night, killing 12 people and injuring dozens. The Dart Center has resources and tips in German and English for journalists who are tasked with covering this tragedy.
A multi-part report discussing the risks and considerations faced by journalists covering terror in a world connected instantaneously by the internet.
Anniversaries mark progress and the passage of time. They can also conjure memories we may not always want to face. On this anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the Dart Center calls attention to a uniquely eloquent journalistic record of the attacks' long aftermath; to a powerful tenth anniversary essay on personal loss and collective historical memory; and to resources available as we seek to better cover, and understand, the longterm effects of horrific events.
Journalists who cover news related to nuclear issues are frequently among the first people on the scene when a radiation incident occurs, but their safety is often overlooked, leaving them vulnerable to radiation exposure and other potential harm. To combat that risk, the non-profit group Atomic Reporters, in partnership with the Stanley Foundation, has released a safety guide highlighting basic steps to take when covering these complex issues.
In a new paper for the Shorenstein Center, BBC world affairs correspondent and Shorenstein Fellow, Paul Wood, tells the painful story of one journalist captured by ISIS, and examines the ethical dilemmas that emerge when covering terrorist organizations.