Resources

Many journalists are exposed to violent material - and not just those on the scene of events themselves. If you are investigating war crimes or sexual violence, you can experience distress without ever leaving your desk. This session offers a highly practical dive into how to protect yourself against the unwanted impacts of vicarious trauma exposure. We’ll be talking about workflows: different ways of viewing distressing content, how to configure your machine and what it takes to manage these issues in teams. And we’ll be discussing the fundamentals of self-care that anyone investigating traumatic situations and immersing themselves in disturbing content needs to know.

How do you work with vulnerable sources - people traumatised by war, by having to flee, by facing mortal dangers for themselves and their families? Few journalistic tasks are as important and as ethically and personally challenging as the coverage of migration, modern slavery, and exploitation. Too often, survivors are seen only as victims, when they are actually the key witnesses to major events that are not properly documented in the paper trails that journalists are accustomed to working with. In this session, two experts from the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma will talk about creating a safe environment, building trust while respecting boundaries, including one’s own, and minimising the risk of causing additional harm.