Journalism on the Spot: Ethical Dilemmas When Covering Trauma and the Implications for Journalism Education (original) (raw)
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We thank all the journalists who completed this survey, as well as the organizations and news professionals who shared the survey invitation with colleagues. We specifically acknowledge the help of A Culture of Safety Alliance (ACOS) staff, leaders and member organizations, who distributed and provided feedback on this survey. Without the news industry's willingness to participate, it would not be possible to study and improve current safety trainings. In addition, we are grateful for the contributions of research assistant Giselle Willis Cuauhtle at The University of Tulsa, who identified publicly available information about HEFAT courses; and Kate Black, associate director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, who provided editorial support. The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma is a project of Columbia Journalism School devoted to informed, ethical and innovative news coverage of violence, conflict and tragedy. For more information and resources, find us online at www.DartCenter.org.
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Journalists are at the forefront of many dangerous and hazardous situations like wars, crimes, and natural disasters. Recent research in the field of psychology suggests that workers exposed to events like these have potential to develop trauma, which can in turn develop into mental disorders like posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD. This is why think tank Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma has been backing calls for additional organizational support from media companies for the protection of their journalists from trauma, as a proposed inclusion to the ethical and legal duty of media companies to keep their workers safe. A perceived duty of resilience and stigma attached to mental health however appears to drag efforts of opening up newsrooms to discussions on mental health. This paper thus seeks to contribute to the discussion by providing an ethical analysis on the dilemma. Such an evaluation may pave the way for an understanding on the liability of the concerned parties to the consequence of potential psychological trauma in sending journalists out to cover traumatic events. In the ethical evaluation, it is found that both journalists and media companies have the moral obligation of protecting journalists' mental well-being and among the steps to do so is eradicating the stigma surrounding mental health and resilience in newsrooms. This decision has been based on deontological evaluation of media companies' duty to protect their workers, and the journalists' duty to serve the public interest, as well as a consequentialist evaluation of other possible courses of actions to the dilemma.
Journalism Ethics: From Classroom to Newsroom
Constantly undergoing an evolution of its own, journalism is one of the most dynamic careers in the 21st Century. While readers have a hunger for news, journalists themselves have a similar hunger to provide news. However, it is extremely vital to have and follow specific moral values in order to lead a successful and fulfilling career in journalism. A prospective reporter first identifies these values in an academic institution, and then continues to comply with and understand these principles throughout their career. Journalism is a contentious field, mainly because it " provide(s) citizens with the information they need to be free and self-governing. " (Kovach & Rosenstiel, The Elements of Journalism, p. 12) To be able to deal with such significant responsibilities, a reporter's attitude is a key factor in terms of how their work is conducted. Determination, boldness and inquisitiveness are the key personality traits David Randall mentions in The Universal Journalist. I agree with Randall when he states, " anger and a sense of injustice should constantly inspire journalists, informing their judgements about the subjects to be tackled and powering their enquiries to their end. " (p. 12) Therefore, to enter a course like journalism, a student should have some if not all of these mannerisms. It is during the course that I find my personal confidence developing into a professional confidence I can see myself working with in the future. Research is one of the most underrated procedures students in any field come by; it is " about knowing where the bodies are – or might be – buried. " (Randall, p. 54) The ultimate success of a project is determined by the amount of research done, the way it is done and the type of information that is used. Perseverance is vital to research methods because it became evident that the most relevant and accurate research I had done was when I was unwilling to give up on an assignment. The " bodies " or cruxes of news stories and assignments can only be unearthed through systematic and widespread research. Living in the 21st Century allows the prospective reporter to widen their searches and gather information from a variety of sources using a number of techniques, all depending on the story at hand. Interviews are an enduring and effective method of getting copious amounts of information for a story. To conduct an interview, journalists abide by a behavioural code with a range of principles starting with punctuality and carrying on with a professional and neutral approach to their subject. Technology has rapidly transformed the media, allowing the Internet to become a favoured medium for research. The modern age has also brought with it the concept of vox pops where the public are also encouraged to contribute their views and resources to the reporting press. CNN's iReport is a portal for the aforementioned public, and has been successful in obtaining data useful to the press eventually promoting the democratisation of the press; in other words, the idea of the