Mark H. Massé

Newsroom reform faces management resistance mostly due to entrenched attitudes. Case in point: Elaine Silvestrini was working as a reporter at the Asbury Park Press (New Jersey) on 9/11. She was also an internal ombudsman at the paper, conveying concerns and requests from staff to management. One of her first tasks was to secure pizza for those working long hours after the terrorist attacks. A simple enough request. But Silvestrini remembers some in upper management groused about spending money for newsroom meals. Less than a week after 9/11, one editor commented: I think people should be back to normal by now. Read More 

Typically, journalists believe they don't have a right to feel affected when documenting the tragedies of others. They say such personal reactions feel “self-indulgent,” even when they are experiencing traumatic effects (e.g., depression, guilt, anxiety). Trauma experts stress the importance of news media acknowledging their own health and welfare while being respectful and empathetic to those primary victims of conflict, tragedy or disaster. Read More 

Today (Oct. 6) is release date for publication of my book TRAUMA JOURNALISM: ON DEADLINE IN HARM'S WAY. http://www.continuumbooks.com/books/detail.aspx?BookId=157783&SearchType=Basic
My thanks to all who contributed to this book and supported me through the years of research and writing. Onward!

Trauma journalism requires empathy for victims and others affected by crisis and tragedy. Traditional newsrooms cite objectivity as a standard. But the true definition relates to a scientific or “non-biased” method of reporting, not an imposed neutrality or lack of emotion. According to Kovach and Rosenstiel (The Elements of Journalism), “impartiality was never what was meant by objectivity.” Successful reporting calls for transparency, verification and a reliable (credible) version of events. Read More 

Trauma journalism reformers are critical of news organizations that use the economic recession as an excuse to cut back on safety training or post-event intervention. Some media outlets employ freelancers (stringers) in conflict zones without providing basic protection or insurance coverage. Such actions put journalists at risk and damage news media credibility.

Thomson Reuters global editor Chris Cramer, former managing director of CNN International, is an outspoken change agent in trauma journalism. While admitting he “did some of the heavy lifting” in reform efforts worldwide, he says getting widespread acceptance for safety training and other support programs and services, especially in the United States and
among the print media, remains “a slow uphill plod.” He says future success will be ensured by “embedding trauma journalism training in the DNA” of university education and professional skills development. Read More 

Frank Ochberg, founder of the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma, says it started with a focus on trauma rather than on issues, such as poverty, prejudice and ignorance. “We wanted to help journalists deal with human events that came up regularly in deadline reporting, and to have a scientific understanding of the vulnerability, resilience, impact, treatment and outcome.” Ochberg, one of the pioneers of trauma science, uses his expertise and enthusiasm to connect people in both the therapeutic and journalistic communities worldwide to enhance media coverage of tragedy and trauma. Read More 

University of Washington student publications director Kristin Millis believes that journalists get “bombarded by the traumatic and the negative” and become very closed off emotionally over time. This disconnection contributes to the newsroom culture of being “hardened, angry, and unfeeling.” She says she unintentionally became “a very cynical person in a short period of time” during her five years as a reporter and editor at daily and weekly newspapers and trade magazines. But she feels fortunate to have changed her outlook and to be able to help young journalists learn about their responsibilities as well as their rights. “In order to be a truly effective reporter," Millis says, "you need the human element and the relevance and connection to community.” Read More 

Emotional care for media editing and production staffs has concerned newsroom managers in recent years, related to coverage of the Haitian earthquake, the South Asian tsunami, 9/11, the terrorist videotaped executions of Daniel Pearl and Nick Berg, and other troubling footage
of war and disaster. Veteran Canadian broadcast journalist George Hoff advocates for reasonable work shifts, mandatory breaks and opportunities for debriefings and counseling, if necessary, for in-studio crews who spend extended periods exposed to second-hand traumatization. Hoff says the impact of violence on a news worker’s psyche is too often “kept in the closet,” either because of organizational policies, fears of job losses, professional insecurities, or other “chilling” effects that block employees from discussing their psychological health. Read More 

When tragedy strikes a community, local media face many challenges. Don Corrigan, editor and co-publisher of a suburban St. Louis weekly, wrote of how he and his staff confronted trauma issues after a city hall shooting spree left six dead in Kirkwood, Mo. One of Corrigan’s reporters was an eyewitness. “In the case of a community weekly, when do we say ‘no’ (to national media) and take care of our own coverage and our own needs?” Read More