Journalists reacted to the bombings at the Boston Marathon and the aftermath the way they always do: they ran toward danger. In a crisis, whether it’s terrorism or a manhunt in Boston or a fertilizer plant explosion in Texas, the news media are first responders. In order to do their job well, however, journalists must [...]
It’s obvious that much has changed in the ten years since 9/11. Ask Americans what they think is the most important problem facing the United States and terrorism doesn’t even make the list. The number of Americans willing to have the government violate their “basic civil liberties” in order to prevent additional acts of terrorism [...]
By Stan Heist When I was a news photographer I carried a lot of gear in the back of my car. Perhaps the most important thing – and most seldom used – was a small blue duffel bag that I called my “go-kit.” Inside the go-kit were the essentials for an unplanned overnight stay, just [...]
There’s only so much you can do to prepare for the unexpected. When the G20 met in Toronto last summer, news organizations knew there would be protests and planned their coverage accordingly. But they couldn’t anticipate that riot-equipped police would quickly be overwhelmed when they came under attack. So journalists in the field and the [...]
We’ve all heard and seen what’s been happening to journalists trying to cover the uprising in Egypt. Some have been detained and beaten. One Egyptian journalist was shot to death while taking pictures from his office balcony on his mobile phone. What can journalists do to stay safe while still covering a dangerous story? Watch [...]
The earthquake in Haiti was devastating for the country and a challenge for journalists trying to cover it. Now, a month after the quake, it seems like a good time to share some lessons learned there and in other crises that could apply when disaster strikes closer to home. Amy Webb at IJNet says many [...]
A reporter in her early 20s starts losing her hair. Another loses weight and has symptoms of depression. Everyone knows journalism is a tough business, but that doesn’t make it any easier to cope with the stress of feeling overworked and unsatisfied in your chosen profession. Scott Reinardy of the University of Kansas surveyed young [...]
by Mark Bell, ENGsafety.com Many reporters feel it’s the technician’s job to be concerned about live truck safety. Nothing could be further from the truth. To prevent accidents, reporters need to be an educated “second set of eyes” in the field. Unfortunately, they often aren’t. Consider the reporter who was getting ready for an early [...]
Adapted from BROADCAST VOICE HANDBOOK by Ann S. Utterback, Ph.D One of the best-kept secrets in every newsroom involves stalkers. Everyone knows it’s a problem, but no one talks about it. Stalkers create a hidden crisis for people because the stress is tremendous, but it is often suffered alone. A stalker is defined as a [...]
Covering a disaster is different from reporting on routine breaking news. Both require quick thinking and action, but in a crisis, additional issues and concerns kick in. The following tips were developed by NewsLab with input from NJ Burkett of WABC-TV in New York, who covered the 9/11 attacks, the war in Iraq and terrorism [...]
Covering wars and disasters can be traumatic for journalists, but they’re often either unaware of the impact, or unwilling to admit it. The effect is likely to be greatest on photographers, reporters and producers on the scene, but even in newsrooms far from the disaster area, the stress of longer-than-normal hours and repeated exposure to [...]
Many newsrooms are well-prepared to cover a major disaster. They have a plan in place, they practice it often, and they’ve used it more than once. But others either don’t have a plan or can’t remember where they put the one that somebody (who no longer works there) put together years ago. There’s no time [...]