Mark H. Massé

My new novel will be available on or before June 1 in paperback or Kindle format: WHATEVER COMES is a dark comedy about an aspiring Irish-American writer in 1970s Cleveland and his decade-long sentimental fool's journey to find love and success. In this modern-day morality tale, twenty-something Max Galway endures an odyssey of trials and temptations, false goals and foolish pursuits. He claims his quest for literary fame is hijacked by an unholy trinity of family, work and romantic woes. But Galway is his own worst enemy en route to enlightenment. Read More 

Presented research this week on trauma journalism at the annual IALJS conference (Tampere University, Finland): "Negative Effects of Extended Immersion on Literary Journalists" and " Michael Herr's (DISPATCHES) Private War: Psychological Impact of Conflict Coverage." IALJS members include 125 educators from 26 nations--a terrific, collegial international organization.

My latest novel, WHATEVER COMES, about an aspiring Irish-American writer in 1970s Cleveland and his sentimental fool's journey to find love and success, will be published soon by Booklocker.com. Trade paperback available via online outlets and as e-book (iBook, Kindle or Nook). For more information: www.markmasse.com

My latest novel, Whatever Comes, will be available soon as a paperback or e-version in all online outlets, as well as via iBook, Kindle or Nook. The book is a dark comedy about an Irish-American author in 1970s Cleveland and his sentimental fool's journey to find love and success. For more information, contact mhmasse@bsu.edu or visit my website: www.markmasse.com Read More 

2012 was a deadly year for journalist fatalities worldwide. According to Reporters Without Borders, this year 88 journalists were killed (an increase of 33 percent compared with 2011), 879 journalists were arrested, 1993 journalists were threatened or physically attacked, and 38 journalists were kidnapped. The most dangerous regions for news media were the Middle East and Northern Africa, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. "The 88 journalists killed in 2012 lost their lives while covering wars or bombings, or were murdered by groups linked to organized crime (including drug trafficking), by Islamist militias or on the orders of corrupt officials." Read More 

On Nov. 16, I was proud to serve on the "Common Ground" (PTSD) Workshop media panel at the National Press Club, sponsored by the University of Kansas School of Journalism and Mass Communications. The entire workshop seven-plus-hour video is now available at: http://www.journalism.ku.edu/ptsd-stream My comments are at the 6:00 hour mark and again at 6:52. For those interested in viewing the workshop in its entirety, several excellent speakers are included.  Read More 

MY THANKS TO BARBARA BARNETT AND THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, for sponsoring "Common Ground: The Media, the Military, and Post-Traumatic Stress" workshop on Nov. 16 at the National Press Club. I was honored to present with fellow panelists, including Dr. Anthony Feinstein, Jackie Spinner, Julie Jacobson, Lara Jakes and other correspondents and trauma experts. Read More 

Just learned that I have won the American Psychoanalytic Association's 2012 Award for Excellence in Journalism for "Transformer," a chapter in my book TRAUMA JOURNALISM: ON DEADLINE IN HARM'S WAY. Past winners include The New York Times, New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, Wall Street Journal and Newsweek. The Award for Excellence in Journalism recognizes professional reporting of outstanding merit that contributes in an exceptional way to the public understanding of psychoanalytic and psychological principles and phenomena. The award is juried by a panel of professional journalists and psychoanalysts. Read More 

I'll be a panelist at workshop on journalism and PTSD at the National Press Club, Friday, Nov. 16. The event, "Common Ground: The Media, the Military, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)," is sponsored by the University of Kansas, William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Other panelists include authors Dr. Anthony Feinstein, Univ. of Toronto and Jackie Spinner, Columbia College (Chicago). My thanks to Kansas Associate Dean Barbara Barnett for coordinating the workshop. Read More 

This week my colleagues (Prof. Mark Popovich, Ball State Univ. and Prof. Dennis Kinsey, Syracuse Univ.) and I presented new research on trauma journalism at the ISSSS ("Q") conference in Pittsburgh (“An Examination of Journalist Opinions Toward Covering Tragedy and Trauma.”) Abstract follows:

Researchers in this study utilized Q methodology to examine the opinions of current and former print and broadcast journalists in central Indiana and upstate New York toward the role of the news media in reporting on tragedy and trauma. A Q sample containing forty statements was developed around five categories: Adventure, Bearing Witness, Career Concerns, Societal Impact, and Professionalism. Eight statements were developed for each of the five categories, constituting the Q sort. Personal interviews and a short survey were employed to help interpret the perceptions of participating journalists concerning statements provided by war correspondents, police beat reporters, and other “trauma journalists,” who had covered crises, disasters, and stories involving fatalities. Q-sort factor scores were used to distinguish statements that differed significantly between two factors: Factor 1: Empathists and Factor 2: Objectivists.  Read More