Trauma and Grief in Australian Journalism Essay Example for Free

Trauma and Grief in Australian Journalism Essay Since November 22, 1800, when George Howe arrived in Australia and started production on Australias first newspaper, the Sydney Gazette, much has changed in the nation’s journalism industry (Morris, 2002). The rapid boost of information technology and advances in the Australia’s educational system brought forth a radical and innovative breed of young journalists, all too eager to partake in serving the community by divulging the truth. In present-day Australia, journalism takes course in virtually all aspects of daily living.   It thrives on reporting breaking events such as asbestos poisoning and backyard abortions, to bush fires in South Australia (Morris, 2002). The death and injury toll for journalists sent out to cover armed conflicts has never been higher (Feinstein, 2003) yet many media practitioners flock to the ‘biggest story going’ without wavering. Whether from the front line, embedded with invading forces, or entrenched down in a nuclear fallout shelter, journalists all say they have a sense of duty to their public, to tell the ‘real’ story, often without thinking about the toll getting that story can, does and will take on them personally (Feinstein, 2003). Reporters, especially those assigned in conflicts and disasters are as vulnerable to, and experience stress and trauma similar to that felt by traumatic event professionals, such as firefighters and combat soldiers (Hight, 1999). Foreign reporters often work alone in the field, with limited consular and often no physical support (Feinstein, 2003). The results can be tragic when stress rises to debilitating levels and goes untreated.   Journalists may abuse drugs or alcohol and struggle in their marriages and personal relationships. They may endure, often silently, such recurring problems as lack of sleep, hyper-arousal or emotional numbness (Place, 1992). Media men were always among the first to arrive in accidents and crime scenes, often ahead of the ambulance and lawmakers. They will be greeted with fresh casualties and survivors moaning in intolerable agony. Much more than this, they could witness those left behind, still shocked and stunned, whose agony seems insurmountable than those enduring physical pain. This causes the journalist, especially those who with more sensitive emotions, to feel the victims pain and loss as if it were their own (Hight, 1999). Journalists tend to conjure up isolation and guilt feelings and become anxious, thinking they too could experience such fate in the future.   From this stems loss of sleep and increased feelings of stress. Journalists usually encounter the wall of grief first at the beginning of their careers. With little or no training, they are assigned the police beat. They learn and gain experience by covering one tragedy. Victims coverage becomes a repetitive part of journalists careers that builds into more than just memories. (Hight, 1999). Distress from trauma builds up in a person after they experience an stressful event outside the range of normal every-day human experience, such as a serious threat to his/her life, physical integrity; or serious threat/harm to children, spouse, relatives or friends; more often for journalists, seeing another person seriously injured or killed in an accident or by physical violence (Feinstein, 2003).     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The more traumatic experiences a person has the greater and longer lasting their feelings of stress, and anxiety and risk of stress educed mental health disorders (Hight, 1999). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder, or mental illness develops after exposure to a traumatic event or ordeal in which grave physical or mental harm occurred or was threatened (Creamer, Burgess, McFarlane, 2001).   Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include but are not limited to violent assaults, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, vehicle accidents, rape, physical abuse and military combat, all of which are witnessed and/or reported on by journalists regularly (Creamer, Burgess, McFarlane, 2001).    PTSD sufferers have trouble functioning in their jobs and personal relationships and sufferer’s children can also be affected by their condition, reporting difficulty in school, becoming isolated and withdrawn from peers and developing phobias (Creamer, Burgess, McFarlane, 2001). PTSD affects people with varying degrees of severity, depending on the nature and number of traumatic experiences they have encountered and is diagnosed when symptoms last more than one month (Allen, 2003). Untreated, PTSD is unlikely to disappear (Allen, 2003). In Australia, university students taking up journalism courses are often told that PTSD exists and that they will have to cope up with grief/trauma but are seldom given practical coping skills as part of their degree/studies, with the exception of some top-ranking universities, such as the JSchool in Brisbane, Central Queensland University and University of the Sunshine Coast (Graduate Careers Australia, 2006). The present state of journalism education in Australia is disjointed. Institutions offering this discipline offer an impulsive mixture of practical training and professional concepts, from the realistic ones to the abstractions of mixed disciplines, such as art and theoretical sciences (Duckett, 2004). Large scale tertiary education began in the 1970s with the development of colleges of advanced education, such as the RMIT Advanced College, which sought to develop vocational streams of study. These colleges ultimately became universities, continuing their involvement in journalism education (Duckett, 2004). However, for a journalism student to be easily adaptable to the trauma he/she may experience in the field, university life should prepare him for the real challenge of the industry. Although many courses were established with industry approval and with some degree of industry control or input, the self-accrediting nature of Australian universities has seen a distancing of modern tertiary institutions from the news media industry (Henningham, 2003). This makes University journalism more of theoretical course, where students sit in a large lecture for two hours, and then afterwards, having a 30-minute tutorial where they’re one of 50 students. Reporters often work alone in the field, witnessing death, violence and enduring psychological and physical stresses without the support and security of home.   Unfortunately most Australian university degrees do not provide student journalists with adequate preparation and training for this unavoidable aspect of their jobs (Henningham, 2003). What we see is that many journalism degrees are very theoretical; they do have much academic rigor and critical thought which probably belongs in a degree. But the mistake is to think that will produce a work-ready journalist, because the two things are completely different. One is work training, I suppose, and the other is academic study. Theyre two completely different things. And I think the universities may have lost their way a little in their direction. Are they trying to offer trade courses or degrees? The two things are very different (Duckett, 2004). There is no guarantee that Australian journalists are really prepared and trained to cope with their role as witnesses to trauma and disseminator of information, analysis and opinion about it Journalism is a challenging and interesting career offering variety and diversity in work tasks and roles. In addition to a broad general comprehension and a thorough knowledge of current affairs, successful journalists should also have personal qualities such as determination and emotional resilience, and the ability to cope up with trauma, while preserving the necessary emotions in his/her stories, for most these skills do not come naturally and must be taught and developed (Harrison, 1999). Many journalists work long and irregular hours, with evening and late night work common. An assignment cannot be dropped just because a shift has finished; a journalist must see it through to the end. Often they are called back to work to cover an unexpected development, and they are frequently required to work when other people are not-at night, on weekends, on public holidays etc. The unusual work hours can make social life difficult. Besides the open-ended work hours, there are also pressures to meet tight deadlines and to ensure the facts presented are accurate. Despite scientific knowledge of trauma and PTSD for over twenty years, only in the past several years have major news organizations begun to establish programs to address work related trauma, grief and stress (Creamer, Burgess, McFarlane, 2001).   Progress has been made in the face of skepticism and resistance among many journalists and editors. Still, there are too few scientific studies of trauma and journalists, too few trauma services for journalists, and reluctant and slowly growing recognition of the effects grief and trauma has on journalists by news outlets (Creamer, Burgess, McFarlane, 2001). In many instances, journalists are unprepared for its impact, and they have limited knowledge and skills to cope with work related trauma. Journalism is far behind other professions, such as educational counselling and fire and police departments, in recognizing trauma as a serious issue that must be addressed. The myth still exists that journalists shouldn’t need trauma programs because journalists are supposed to be â€Å"tough as nails† (Place, 1992). When it comes to trauma, journalism sometimes appears to be one of the last â€Å"macho† professions (Place, 1992). Media companies profit on the talents of their journalists, so they should invest on maintaining their proper mental health and well-being. News companies can quite inexpensively develop effective trauma awareness and preparation programs and should acknowledge trauma as reality and a concern; not as an affliction of the weak or a career â€Å"stopper†.   News conglomerates must also regard trauma services as an essential part of staff well-being, similar to other programs such as workplace health and safety. Information, practical training, confidential counselling and de-briefing services should be made available to journalists by employers free of charge whenever they feel the need to access them.   Developing a policy on reporting crises, such as rotating reporters and peer de-briefing, could also prove helpful and is another strategy media outlets could easily implement with little economic or resource strain (Castle, 1999).   Media outlets must make trauma training part of their ongoing training for all their journalists to ensure they stay in the profession and do not burn out or develop damaging conditions such as PTSD. Peer support programs are not new to people who work in the front line emergency services. Police, ambulance, and other similar professionals who are first to arrive at scenes have received education and training to developed techniques for dealing with trauma and grief they inevitably encounter during their work (Castle, 1999). In the past people were told to make debriefing appointments with psychological professionals, however recent research has shown that peer de-briefing is much more effective, because it takes place in a much less formal, sterile way and has less stigma attached to it (Castle, 1999). Newsrooms are renowned for bravado, with journalist often saying â€Å"Im okay, Im tough, Im not affected†.   Those trained to recognize stress, and PTSD know one of the first signs of being affected is denial, and would see this as the first sign of a need for intervention. Peer support models from emergency services could be adapted and applied to Australian newsrooms to the benefit and success of Australian journalists as they have been to emergency workers (Place, 1992). This would see not only the journalists and camera people, trained to cope with grief and trauma but editors and telephone staff as well.   This way every member of the team can be of assistance in recognizing, and auctioning early interventions where necessary.   Training all members of the news room also means there will always be peer available to help and de-brief whenever the need arises. The first psychological study of war journalists, A Hazardous Profession: War, Journalists, and Psychopathology, was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, September 2002. The study used self-report questionnaires and interviews to gather data from two groups: 140 war journalists and 107 journalists who had never covered war. The study concluded that war journalists have significantly more psychiatric difficulties than journalists who do not report on war. The study also found: Higher rates of alcohol use (14 units of alcohol per week; 7.6 for non-war reporters) †¢ Intrusive thoughts, replay of memories and hyper-arousal were common †¢ Low awareness of trauma †¢ Social difficulties, such as re-adjusting to civil society, reluctance to mix with friends, troubled relationships, and embarrassing startled responses The researchers recommended that these results should alert news organizations that significant psychological distress does occur in many war journalists and has devastating and significant impacts if untreated, as is sadly, often the case. Despite the fact many journalists, particularly war journalists suffer PTSD with similar severity as war veterans, the Australian government does not provide them with treatment programs similar to those established by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DFA) for   War veterans (DVA, www.dva.gov.au). DFA entitlements such as private psychiatric and allied health services, intensive treatment programs for PTSD and a range of individual and group services should be extended to media practitioners directly involved in covering armed conflicts and other disasters (DVA, www.dva.gov.au). Further, all journalists should be provided with free access to professional psychological helping services as part of their employment packages. When examining grief and trauma in journalism, focus should not be confined to the newsrooms and behind cameras. Journalism isn’t always about the journalists, it’s also about stories they write, and the people behind these stories. Unconsciously, a reporter’s intrusion into an event may be untimely, and the respondent may offer several and unexpected reactions. There are ethical issues that a journalist may wish to consider when reporting on traumatic events.   Adhering to the MEAA code of ethics (MEAA, www.alliance.org.au) and maintaining professionalism under pressure will ensure journalists are comfortable with their own actions when reflected upon and will help them deal with personal feelings of guilt, responsibility and doubt. Before interviewing a person who has witnessed trauma, or a victim of violence, it is important to think about whether it is strictly necessary to interview the person immediately.   They may be in shock, disoriented, or frightened.   They may feel either guilty or elated that they have survived if others have not. This means that they may not be thinking clearly when they are asked for an interview, and that undergoing the process may bring up some unexpected feelings, emotions and behaviors offensive or threatening to the journalist, grief and trauma training would prepare journalists for these potential situations and impart practical skills for dealing with such (Place, 1992). As an ethical and professional journalist, check what interviewees would like to achieve by speaking publicly about traumatic experiences. Practicing and student journalists alike need to move away from traditional ‘macho’ thinking regarding trauma and grief, it’s place in their work and the potential affects it can have on their lives.   They need to understand that stress, anxiety and PTSD are real and that no matter how burning their desire to disseminate the truth or the story, they are not superhuman and that it is normal and ok to seek/receive help.   Journalists, as professionals need to be trained and alert to the symptoms and physical and psychological dangers grief and trauma of their work brings into their lives. Ten years ago a lot of veteran war correspondents and editors laughed at the idea that reporters should go for safety training; should go put on flak jackets and practice being shot at and stuff like that, however it has since been proven that such training is not only beneficial, it is lifesaving (Place, 1992). Psychiatry is a healing art, applied to individuals who suffer. There is no common path to healing after enduring human cruelty. But most individuals who do recover enough hope and worth to enjoy existence find meaning in their lives -and meaning in life itself. They escape that literal, factual and shattering treatment of personal reality. Most find the creation of life-enhancing myth a preferable alternative to existential despair. Many employ denial, delusion, and dissociation along the way. Therapists often help victims avoid intolerable memory (Ochberg, 1999). Journalism is not a healing art, but rather our best effort at undistorted perception of reality. It is neither psychiatry nor myth-making. It is the telling of those traumatic events, making a channel for the exit of those emotions, and arranging these stories into tangible aids for the future (Ochberg, 1999). Paradoxically, an energizing element of trauma,   is that can offer   transformative healing for individuals, such as the case with peer debriefing, as it can also offer for society at large (Place, 1992). As the medias role has expanded, its responsibility to media practitioners has expanded.   As academics and business leaders continue to understand and recognize the powerful influence of the mind, the medias responsibility to incorporate new knowledge regarding mental health and journalist wellbeing also expands. This is an invitation to put trauma, its impact, and the ability to be healed and transformed through it on the global agenda and to bring its awareness to the ones who are more frequently subjected to it, whether due to his/her course of living (such as the media men, etc.) or due to some unavoidable circumstances of nature. The media mirrors society and society mirrors the media. This interrelationship takes on a more pointed meaning when related to trauma. Media members, trauma researchers, and clinicians are invited to engage in dialogue on the expanding field of trauma knowledge. The media are the eyes, ears, and voice of our collective body. We must trust them; support them to cope so they can continue their roles as disseminators of truth, information, corporate/government watchdogs, and of course, the fourth estate. References    A Hazardous Profession: War, Journalists, and Psychopathology, American Journal of Psychiatry, September 2002 Anthony Feinstein 2003, Dangerous Lives: War and the Men and Women Who Report It, October 1, 2003 Australian Broadcasting Tribunal 1990, Violence on television, Sydney: ABT Creamer M, Burgess P, McFarlane AC 2001. Post-traumatic stress disorder: findings from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-being. Psychol Med 2001; 31: 1237-1247. Di Powell 1990, â€Å"Media Intrusion into Grief†, Media Information Australia, No.57, August, pp.24–29 Frank Morris 2002, â€Å"The birth of the book in Terra Australis†, April 26, 2002 Frank M. Ochberg, MD 1999, â€Å"Three Acts of Trauma News â€Å", Sacred Bearings Journal, April, 1999 Joe Hight 1999, Journalists who cover victims risk hitting The Wall , Daily Oklahoman , (Spring 1999) John Henningham 2003, Journalism sold short in media courses, The Australian (Media section), 23 October 2003 Lucinda Duckett 2004, Journalism Education: Cultures of Journalism/Lifelong Learning series, Radio National, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 26 June 2004 MEEA Code of Ethics, http://www.alliance.org.au/tech-support.html Nic Place 1992, â€Å"Journalists and trauma: The need for counselling†, Australian Studies in Journalism, Vol.1, pp.113–158 Phillip Castle 1999, â€Å"Journalism and trauma: Proposals for change†, AsiaPacific MediaEducator, Issue No. 7, July-December Shirley Harrison 1999, Disasters and the Media: Managing Crisis Communications, Macmillan, London .