Blog 3 – Ethical Considerations from the Foster-Foreman Conference of Distinguished Writers by Stephen Svitko

Situation Definition

Douglas Blackmon is an American journalist who came to the HUB on Thursday to speak about his experiences in the field of journalism, he has had the honor of covering Hurrican Katrina, the BP oil spill, and the election of Barack Obama.  He is very experienced in his field and proved his knowledge through his speech.

Of course, being a journalist isn’t always a breeze, as there are ethical concerns we come across when producing work.  Blackmon was no stranger to ethical issues, as he talked about issues of uncomfortable journalism, as well as the mental health of journalists.

Analysis

Dough Blackmon grew up in the south, and claimed he was constantly surrounded with people of a different race.  However he has been presented opportunities to cover events in places where he himself would stand out or be uncomfortable in.  He traveled to Croatia to gather info for his book Another Name for Slavery, and by no surprise stood out there.  Not only has it been places he has been uncomfortable with, but situations as well.

During his time as a police writer, he would have to ask families how they felt after an incident like the loss of a child, leaving Blackmon feeling like a bad person.  There’s not too many journalists who are taught what to do in regards to dealing with psychological and emotional trauma, which is a shame. Gretchen Dworznik, a professor at Kent State University says in her study “Are We Teaching Trauma” that “although schools believe the topic of trauma is important and worth teaching to future journalists, the approach to the topic is mostly reactive and inconsistent” (Dworznik 2018).  This brings up the question: Should we be preparing our future journalists for trauma and emotional stress?

Blackmon spoke about his time in Croatia and how traumatic it was at some points.  He experienced artillery fire around him, being arrested, and other stressful events any journalist or human being would struggle with.  However, this is unfortunately not that rare amongst journalists.

In his article “A Mental Health Epidemic in the Newsroom”, Gabriel Arana explores journalists’ mental health.  According to a study in 2001,  upwards of 85 percent experience work-related trauma, and that number is only going up as traumatic events continue to fill our daily lives (Arana 2017).  This number is astonishingly high, and it brings up the ethical concern of outreach to journalists with PTSD and similar issues.

Should we actively try to prepare journalists for trauma and assume its inevitability, or should we spend more resources on outreach and help for those with PTSD and similar issues?

Conclusion

An unhealthy journalist can produce unhealthy information.  Without the right mind, information can be skewed and off, not fully encompassing the writer’s experience or knowledge about a subject. Dough Blackmon noted that after his time in Croatia no help was offered to him regarding his traumatic experiences overseas.

Journalists, news companies, and citizens, in general, need to take heavy attention to these ethical concerns, as the news affects us all and shapes our lives.  People want the best reporting possible on every event, but how is that expected when the very idea of covering a certain event may turn journalists away due to their graphic nature?  We need to facilitate a sensitive and open work environment for journalists in order to obtain the best information yet still keep the ethical concerns in view.

References

Dworznik, G. (2018, January 23). Are We Teaching Trauma? Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17512786.2018.1423630