Self Care for Journalists by Dart Center

I took a lot of time to look over and reflect on the Dart Center “Self Care Tips for News Media Personnel exposed to Traumatic Events.” It covered everything from what to watch for while covering trauma, what to be aware of before covering trauma, etc.

When I first started this class, I figured that covering traumatic events would be difficult to do. The emotional and mental harm that could be done when covering tragedy day after day was understandable. However, I was unaware about the severity of the harm that could impact those who's job it is to tell the story of trauma.

I never thought about how to prepare myself before covering a story on trauma. I didn't think about the importance of talking about the possible emotional risks that one may experience. It is absolutely crucial to have this conversation so reporters and camera operators don't go into the story completely blind as to what kind of trauma they may expect to experience.

I also very much appreciated how this tip sheet included a section on not unusual responses to witnessing trauma. This was a wonderful way of illustrating what kind of symptoms of trauma to be aware of, but also to make people aware that these reactions are indeed common and that can be lessened with the help of support from others. 

It's so important for us as journalists to monitor our reactions to trauma and to be aware of warning signs that may cause us to act in a harmful way. Covering trauma is not easy, but it is absolutely essential in our line of business. People need to know about trauma. They need to know about the reality of the devastation that comes with trauma. We need to understand, just as we do with any story, how to cover it accurately and professionally while remaining sensitive and aware of our audience. We can only tell the story well if we take care of ourselves, too. Journalists aren't robots, and I think everyone needs to be more aware of that.