Mark H. Massé

My narrative nonfiction book "Trauma Journalism: On Deadline in Harm's Way" is available for textbook orders at the AEJMC Conference in Salons I & II, 7th floor, Chicago Marriott, adjacent to the AEJMC 100th anniversary historical display in the rear of the exhibit area. Stop by, browse a book copy and take a flyer with testimonials and ordering information. Read More 

Groucho Marx authored my favorite dust jacket blurb, "I couldn't put this book down....and sometime I intend to read it." The back story on the line was that Groucho didn't have the time to read and comment upon everything thrust his way. Given that he was often a very serious and erudite individual in real life, I feel certain he would have taken the time on Mark Masse's invaluably important "Trauma Journalism: On Deadline in Harm's Way." BUT unlike Groucho, I honestly couldn't put this book down...because it's a gripping page turner on a sadly neglected subject. Since my writing frequently focuses upon the ironies inherent to any war setting, my favorite section of Mark's book addressed "Frontline Reporting." Yet, all journalism is subject to the phenomenon of trauma, from covering a random car crash, to domestic violence. All these subjects and more are insightfully addressed in Mark's groundbreaking study. He's a secular humanist writer to be cherished. I cannot recommend this book too strongly.

— Wes Gehring is a professor of film at Ball State University and associate media editor for USA Today Magazine. The award-winning author has written 30-plus film-related books. Read More 

Met this weekend with documentary filmmaker ("Breaking News, Breaking Down") Mike Walter, who was in Muncie (Ind.) to produce a corporate video. Mike, a veteran broadcast reporter/news anchor based in Washington, D.C., has detailed knowledge of trauma journalism. Through his work he is raising awareness of the psychological effects of conflict coverage on the news media, their sources and other individuals. Read More 

This summer, my colleagues (Professor Emeritus Mark Popovich, Ball State, and Professor Dennis Kinsey, Syracuse) and I are producing a new attitudinal (Q Methodology) study of news media and their coverage of trauma journalism. Results will be presented at an international conference in Pittsburgh, PA, in early September.

From summer 2012 issue of Oregon Quarterly:
Trauma Journalism: On Deadline in Harm’s Way (Continuum, 2011) by Mark H. Massé, MS ’94. Using in-depth profiles of reporters, researchers, and trauma experts, this book provides “a fascinating and fact-filled account of how ‘trauma journalism’ finally is being recognized and treated.”

From spring 2012 issue of Oxford Bibliographies (Oxford University Press), the article “Journalism and Trauma” by Meg Spratt and Sue Lockett John (Univ. of Washington): “To date, the most comprehensive works covering various aspects of journalism and trauma are the groundbreaking textbook Covering Violence: A Guide to Ethical Reporting about Victims and Trauma (Simpson and Coté 2006), the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma website, a special 2009 edition of Nieman Reports (Ludtke 2009) devoted to trauma coverage, and Trauma Journalism: On Deadline in Harm’s Way (Massé 2011). Massé continues this work with a fresh overview of the field and new case studies from working journalists. … Builds on the existing literature to provide an updated overview of the field of journalism and trauma, including practical, ethical, and legal information for journalists and students. Personal stories about journalists who have covered tragedy help illustrate primary points and issues in each chapter.”
http://oxfordbibliographiesonline.com/view/document/obo-9780199756841/obo-9780199756841-0061.xml#obo-9780199756841-0061-bibItem-0003 Read More 

The L.A. Times reports that the tortured body of a Mexican police reporter was found on the side of a road in the northern state of Sonora on Friday. In the last month, six Mexican journalists have been murdered. Mexico remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for reporters covering drug-related crimes and governmental corruption. Read More 

Frank Smyth, senior adviser for journalist security, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), wrote an insightful article “Should J-School Grads Just Get Up and Go Overseas?” on the CPJ website: http://www.cpj.org/security/2012/05/should-j-school-grads-just-get-up-and-go-overseas.php A sample of Smyth's counsel to new J-School grads eager to work overseas in conflict zones: "Every high-risk decision brings both the potential of lasting, positive impact, and the possibility of permanent, tragic loss." Read More 

I'm honored to be a panelist at a workshop on PTSD for journalists, National Press Club, Washington, D.C. The Nov. 16 event is sponsored by the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Kansas. The goal of the workshop, funded by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, is to "help journalists learn how better to cover PTSD—and how better to cope with their own PTSD." Read More 

My magazine article "How to Organize a Nonfiction Feature" will be reprinted in the upcoming collection (BEST OF THE WRITER, Kalmbach Books, 2012).