First defined by the American Psychiatric Association in 1980, post-traumatic stress disorder — PTSD — is now a widely-recognized diagnosis backed up by decades of science. What do reporters need to know about PTSD, both how it affects those we cover, and the impact of covering trauma on ourselves? What should reporters understand about covering other mental health issues and disorders?
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.
These two episodes of the ambitious podcast "Believed" – “The Parents” and “What Have You Done?” – focus on Larry Nassar’s victims and their families, exploring the complicated, conflicted emotions that can persist when people are victimized by a seemingly known and trusted person. Judges recognized the "enormous trust" the reporters built with everyone they interviewed, allowing the survivors and parents to “reveal their deepest regrets and vulnerabilities,” and calling the end result "intimate," "revelatory," and "profound." Originally published by Michigan Radio in January 2018.
This deeply reported multimedia project explores the failure of Minnesota’s policing and courts to serve rape and sexual assault victims. Judges called “Denied Justice” an “exceedingly thorough investigative reporting triumph" that makes an "enormous contribution to public service." They commended the series' "incredible depth" that touched everything from "decisions around anonymity to the scope of interviews, from expert sourcing to the wide range of angles explored." Originally published by the Star Tribune between July and December, 2018.
Amy McQuire reflects on a Dart Centre Asia Pacific retreat focussed on Indigenous trauma reporting, and explains why she believes Aboriginal journalists need to embrace an advocate's role.