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. Read More