Mark H. Massé

Published in the (Sri) Lanka Standard on Jan. 8, 2012:
“Today marks the third death anniversary of Lasantha Wickrematunge a human rights journalist from Sri Lanka who fought fearlessly for the freedom of the press and relentlessly pursued what he believed was right. On January 8, 2009 he was brutally murdered by the Sri Lankan authorities for his journalism. … As we remember Lasantha and his work and other journalists and activists around the world who have paid the supreme price in the line of duty, I call upon the international community to urge Sri Lanka’s government to hold a proper independent investigation into Lasantha’s murder … .”
Statement by Sonali Samarasinghe, journalist and widow of Sri Lankan editor Lasantha Wickrematunge Read More 

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 

Comparing his actions to the clinical role of surgeon and noting that he is able to treat his reporting on tragedy, such as the genocide in Darfur and other atrocities across Africa, “with a certain amount of professional distance,” Nicholas Kristof, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and columnist for the New York Times, states: "In a career of reporting I’ve heard a lot of really wrenching stories about murder and rape and everything else. And at this point, I’m not really proud of it. I’m even a little embarrassed about it. I can listen pretty dispassionately to the most inhuman stories, and they, most of the time, don’t really bother me." Read More 

Investigative reporter Ruth Teichroeb has spent much of her journalistic career covering social issues involving vulnerable people: "It’s just a totally different landscape when dealing with someone who’s traumatized. They don’t know the rules, and what’s so essential in these interviews is to give the person choices about a whole host of things—from logistics like where the interview is going to be done and who’s going to be there, all the way to what’s going to appear in print. Time is crucial. I think it’s insulting to a victim to go in and take their story and leave and put it in the newspaper without having that relationship—without them being able to say this is OK and this is not." Read More 

Former BBC war correspondent Kate Adie speaks of being emotionally engaged in the craft of reporting. She is passionate about the role of journalists serving as witnesses, informing others about world events. That sense of conviction may also make one a better journalist, according to Adie, who wrote in her autobiography, THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS: “Caring about what you see may well be the key to good reporting, for it means you look closer, and you look to find out why. The much-bruited idea that we are all damaged by grim experience is countered surely by the idea that we are all changed by experience, but not necessarily for the worse.” Read More 

Freelance writer Dennis Sanfilippo, Eugene, Ore., comments on TRAUMA JOURNALISM: ON DEADLINE IN HARM'S WAY: "I came away with a new regard for journalists as a whole and a new perception of trauma journalists in particular. The book should be MUST reading for any journalism student. Journalism, I believe, has always tended toward self-aggrandizement, yet your book graphically shows the real service it provides and the dedication of its most serious practitioners." Read More 

Australian freelance journalist Antony Loewenstein is a Sydney-based author, documentarian, photographer and blogger who has covered trauma journalism stories. He recently wrote about the hazards facing war correspondents and conflict reporters, citing the work of the Committee to Protect Journalists: http://antonyloewenstein.com/2011/12/20/the-deadly-risk-of-being-a-journalist-in-2011/

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports 45 journalists were killed worldwide in 2011. Pakistan is now the most dangerous country for news media workers, according to the CPJ. David Tereshchuk wrote about the threats against journalists in a recent column published in the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-tereshchuk/war-journalists-_b_1148838.html

An excellent resource for study of trauma journalism is the Center for Journalism Ethics, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin (Madison). Prof. Stephen J.A. Ward directs the center, which houses research, journalist profiles, links to international news organizations and information on industry reform.
http://ethics.journalism.wisc.edu/resources/global-media-ethics/trauma-and-journalists/

The recent death of an Arizona Republic intern (and Arizona State Univ. journalism student) is being called an apparent suicide. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among 15-to-24-year-olds after accidents and homicide. Media coverage of suicide is a controversial topic, given the documented effect of how certain types of “sensationalized” news media reports contribute to suicide contagion or “copycat” deaths. A 2010 report of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) calls for the responsible coverage of suicide to educate audiences about likely causes, warning signs, trends in suicide rates, recent treatment advancements, and other types of prevention. Read More