Shining Light on Dark Stories
Fortellingens kraft 2022 (The Power of Storytelling 2022) gathers some of the best forces in the field of journalistic storytelling to give you inspiration, tools and sharpened skills.
SHINING LIGHT ON DARK STORIES
Jessica DuLong will explore the ethics and complications of trauma-related coverage and offer tangible tools, guidelines, resources, and evidence- and experience-based context for journalists. Pulling good narrative from dark places is tricky business. Many stories we cover—on robbery, rescue, fire, disaster, disease, violence, abuse, and beyond—involve trauma of some kind. Because traumatic events make news, people affected often wind up as sought-after sources. How can we balance care and compassion with getting the best, most effective story? Coverage of people facing or witnessing fearful circumstances beyond their control requires empathy, ethics, and self-care, along with insights into how trauma impacts both brain and body. Jessica DuLong’s talk, SHINING A LIGHT ON DARK STORIES, will draw upon her background, as an author, journalist, and book collaborator, interviewing people facing trauma, grief, post-traumatic stress, and related disorders. She will also offer up guidance based her own experiences with both primary and secondary trauma. This session will address the effects that covering trauma-related stories can have even on the most tough-minded journalists. Participants will leave with tangible tools, guidelines, and resources supported by the pioneering work of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma.
