Several years ago, when I first embarked on this journey to write about trauma journalism, I contacted literary agents to determine their interest. Perhaps my enthusiasm for the subject blinded me to the harsh realities of the publishing industry. Though as a longtime freelance writer, I was certainly no stranger to rejection. But I was struck by the blunt response of one East Coast agent who stated: “I suspect that there’s little concern by John Q. Public for the emotional and psychological impact of traumatic news events on journalists.” Undeterred, I continued working on my book, discovering events, such as the recent Arab spring, that demonstrated people (and governments) do care about the safety and welfare of journalists in harm's way.
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