Covering Violence

Covering Violence is an invaluable resource for use in newsrooms and in journalism classes throughout the country. The real-life examples and eyewitness accounts from media professionals greatly strengthen this second edition. The practical 'how to' approach on such issues as crossing cultural borders and doing sensitive interviews continues to be the backbone of this pioneering work. -- Sherry Ricchiardi, senior writer, American Journalism Review, and professor of journalism, Indiana University

A guide for becoming a sensitive and responsible reporter. Discussing such topics as rape and the ethics of interviewing children, it gives students and journalists a better understanding of what is happening "on the scene" of a violent event, including where a reporter can go safely and legally, and how to obtain the useful information.Reporting on violence is one of the most problematic features of journalistic practice-the area most frequently criticized by the public and those on the receiving end of that coverage. Now in its second edition, Covering Violence remains a crucial guide for becoming a sensitive and responsible reporter. Discussing such topics as rape and the ethics of interviewing children, the book gives students and journalists a detailed understanding of what is happening "on the scene" of a violent event, including where a reporter can go safely and legally, how to obtain the most useful information, and how best to interview and photograph victims and witnesses. This second edition takes our turbulent postmillennium history into account and emphasizes the consequences of frequent exposure to traumatic events. It offers new chapters on 9/11 and terrorism, the Columbine school shootings, and the photographing of violent events, as well as additional profiles of Vietnamese American, Native American, and African American journalists. More essential than ever, Covering Violence connects journalistic practices to the rapidly expanding body of literature on trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and secondary traumatic stress, and pays close attention to current medical and political debates concerning victims' rights.