Trauma and journalism

Trauma and journalism are intertwined. Traumatic events such as war, natural disasters and violent crime are extremely newsworthy. In turn, scholarly interest in the relationship between trauma and journalism has grown since the 9/11 attacks and the war in Afghanistan in the early 2000s. Covering tragedy and death is a mainstay of journalism, often with novice journalists undergoing a traumatic initiation of interviewing distressed bereaved families. The ubiquity of social media and the pressure of the 24 hours news cycle also raise questions about vicarious traumatisation and journalists’ mental health. Interestingly, journalism played a key role in the genesis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Now, the latest PTSD codification allows for traumatic exposure through electronic media, television, movies and pictures if exposure is work related. The pandemic has again brought trauma and journalism to the fore while trauma-informed journalism could help soothe the crisis of trust facing news media.