Elana Newman is the Research Director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. Her work in journalism and trauma focuses on the occupational health of journalists, including safety, harassment, educational needs, coping with trauma exposure, ethics, and the impact of trauma news on consumers.
What are the different forms of violence that journalists are most often confronted with?
I've been working in this field for more than 25 years and levels of harassment and violence against journalism has increased over time, even in areas where they were not previously present. We’ve always expected it to some degree in areas like crime, conflict reporting, or police matters, etc. But it has increased in areas such as education or politics. Now, politics in the United States is the most dangerous area to cover, it’s incredible! That’s a real change in the American context. There really has been an increase of physical violence against journalists, and I would include gender-based violence in there too, as well as sexual violence. Cyber violence is a whole new area that has developed against journalists with the goal of silencing them. And then, there is simply the everyday experience of talking to people who have, on the worst day of their lives, experienced terrible things. This is what we call vicarious trauma, the idea that if you listen closely to someone who has suffered terrible violence, you can't help but be moved, change, or react to that. Finally, journalists are increasingly talking about moral violence, meaning they cover events that violate their sense of order in the world, of what is right and wrong, such as institutional betrayal, things like that.
How can we raise awareness among journalists about these topics in countries where trauma isn't really considered?
I think we need to first talk about these issues in a way that people will understand. Take, for example, the concept of rape or sexual assault: these terms may seem foreign, but saying "having relations with your partner against their will" may be easier to grasp. Sometimes the words "mental health" or "trauma" may not align with people's experiences. I think it's really important that we understand what those experiences are and label them and understand them in the way that makes sense in the context of which people live... Much of our initial research focused on journalists who are parachuted into conflict zones and then leave. Today, we are focusing more on journalists who live in the communities they cover. This could involve Western journalists covering their own communities affected by violence, or people from around the world covering their own communities affected by conflict, poverty, or violence. In fact, we have learned a lot from Irish journalists who covered the Troubles and did not take sides. We are interested in what it means to cover one’s own community, the ethical issues, the pluses and minuses involved..
Is the impact different from one journalist to another when facing the same situation?
My research has shown that journalists who tell tough stories can't help but be affected. You will never forget the sight of a hungry child. When you tell these stories, of coure they are going to make you sad or you'll have a reaction, but that doesn’t mean you will carry damage with you for the rest of your life. What my research has shown is that you are at risk. You are at risk if you don’t take care of yourself for some occupational stress or some difficulties. Then yes, you risk encountering difficulties, which is not the case for everyone, but for some people, especially if they’ve had similar experiences. You can take precautions to reduce this risk. Just like people wore masks to reduce contamination, there are things you can do to lower your risk.
What can a journalist working in a violent context or covering conflicts do to protect their mental health?
First, I want to remind you that doing this work can be difficult but also very satisafying. Journalists may be very proud of their work when they use their skills ethically and tell good stories, and that pride is important. I also want to remind you that you won’t always have a reaction; it won't happen every time you tell a story about trauma or difficult matters. Reactions come and go. I like to think of reactions as information that signals something needs to be addressed, something that requires reflection and self-care: "Maybe I need a break. Maybe I need to dance. Maybe I need to talk to a loved one." Similarly, all these reactions or feelings don’t mean that you will be damaged forever. It simply means you had a reaction. So, I would like to make a distinction between "reactions" and "mental health." To learn more about how to deal with these reactions, there are all kinds of things you can do: have rituals to start and end your day, connect to something spiritual, whatever that means to you, whether it’s formal religion or spending time with trees, connecting to something bigger. It turns out that being ethical helps people withstand exposure to trauma and can also be a source of strength. Social support, whatever form it takes, that is, being in contact with other human beings, family, children, friends, colleagues, etc., helps a lot.
What can a media outlet do to help its journalists, to protect them?
Newsrooms, journalist unions, and collectives can implement several things. First, having a team mentality and being able to work with others, especially when it comes to making difficult decisions, reminding each other why we do this work. Complimenting each other when the work is good, when a story is successful, highlighting it. This is often not done enough in newsrooms. Finally, having security procedures: physical security, emotional security, cybersecurity, or protecting your notes, regardless of the context. Journalists need rules about what to do if they are harassed or if a source becomes threatening, for example. I invite you to visit our website to find our advice sheets: https://dartcenter.org/resources?type[0]=16
What are the different forms of violence that journalists are most often confronted with?
I've been working in this field for more than 25 years and levels of harassment and violence against journalism has increased over time, even in areas where they were not previously present. We’ve always expected it to some degree in areas like crime, conflict reporting, or police matters, etc. But it has increased in areas such as education or politics. Now, politics in the United States is the most dangerous area to cover, it’s incredible! That’s a real change in the American context. There really has been an increase of physical violence against journalists, and I would include gender-based violence in there too, as well as sexual violence. Cyber violence is a whole new area that has developed against journalists with the goal of silencing them. And then, there is simply the everyday experience of talking to people who have, on the worst day of their lives, experienced terrible things. This is what we call vicarious trauma, the idea that if you listen closely to someone who has suffered terrible violence, you can't help but be moved, change, or react to that. Finally, journalists are increasingly talking about moral violence, meaning they cover events that violate their sense of order in the world, of what is right and wrong, such as institutional betrayal, things like that.
How can we raise awareness among journalists about these topics in countries where trauma isn't really considered?
I think we need to first talk about these issues in a way that people will understand. Take, for example, the concept of rape or sexual assault: these terms may seem foreign, but saying "having relations with your partner against their will" may be easier to grasp. Sometimes the words "mental health" or "trauma" may not align with people's experiences. I think it's really important that we understand what those experiences are and label them and understand them in the way that makes sense in the context of which people live... Much of our initial research focused on journalists who are parachuted into conflict zones and then leave. Today, we are focusing more on journalists who live in the communities they cover. This could involve Western journalists covering their own communities affected by violence, or people from around the world covering their own communities affected by conflict, poverty, or violence. In fact, we have learned a lot from Irish journalists who covered the Troubles and did not take sides. We are interested in what it means to cover one’s own community, the ethical issues, the pluses and minuses involved..
Is the impact different from one journalist to another when facing the same situation?
My research has shown that journalists who tell tough stories can't help but be affected. You will never forget the sight of a hungry child. When you tell these stories, of coure they are going to make you sad or you'll have a reaction, but that doesn’t mean you will carry damage with you for the rest of your life. What my research has shown is that you are at risk. You are at risk if you don’t take care of yourself for some occupational stress or some difficulties. Then yes, you risk encountering difficulties, which is not the case for everyone, but for some people, especially if they’ve had similar experiences. You can take precautions to reduce this risk. Just like people wore masks to reduce contamination, there are things you can do to lower your risk.
What can a journalist working in a violent context or covering conflicts do to protect their mental health?
First, I want to remind you that doing this work can be difficult but also very satisafying. Journalists may be very proud of their work when they use their skills ethically and tell good stories, and that pride is important. I also want to remind you that you won’t always have a reaction; it won't happen every time you tell a story about trauma or difficult matters. Reactions come and go. I like to think of reactions as information that signals something needs to be addressed, something that requires reflection and self-care: "Maybe I need a break. Maybe I need to dance. Maybe I need to talk to a loved one." Similarly, all these reactions or feelings don’t mean that you will be damaged forever. It simply means you had a reaction. So, I would like to make a distinction between "reactions" and "mental health." To learn more about how to deal with these reactions, there are all kinds of things you can do: have rituals to start and end your day, connect to something spiritual, whatever that means to you, whether it’s formal religion or spending time with trees, connecting to something bigger. It turns out that being ethical helps people withstand exposure to trauma and can also be a source of strength. Social support, whatever form it takes, that is, being in contact with other human beings, family, children, friends, colleagues, etc., helps a lot.
What can a media outlet do to help its journalists, to protect them?
Newsrooms, journalist unions, and collectives can implement several things. First, having a team mentality and being able to work with others, especially when it comes to making difficult decisions, reminding each other why we do this work. Complimenting each other when the work is good, when a story is successful, highlighting it. This is often not done enough in newsrooms. Finally, having security procedures: physical security, emotional security, cybersecurity, or protecting your notes, regardless of the context. Journalists need rules about what to do if they are harassed or if a source becomes threatening, for example. I invite you to visit our website to find our advice sheets: https://dartcenter.org/resources?type[0]=16