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Vicarious trauma: psychological perspective

In pursuit of telling the story, journalists are sent to traumatic scenes and events to speak to victims and others affected. However, that can expose reporters to vicarious and direct trauma as well.
They're seeing the consequences, the effects.
Reporters can find themselves growing attached to stories being told of trauma, existing as a filter for what is and is not presentable on television. Professionals must consume that media, footage and story details themselves to determine how the story will be told, and will also be exposed to the raw experience of witnesses, victims, criminals and others associated with the story.

Registered Psychologist Annemarie Rued-Fraser says that experiencing disturbance is a human reaction. "If you're not physically present on-site, hearing the story in-depth can in and of itself create disturbance and can create those images--those flashback images from the imagined experience; however if the person is on-site after the trauma has been experienced and they're hearing, they're seeing the consequences, the effects. They're creating a personal connection of sorts with the victims."

Journalists can experience direct trauma through physical and verbal harassment on scene as well as being at risk of violence in extreme circumstances. Isolation and imprisonment abroad are also potential threats posed to journalists, with at least 250 journalists jailed worldwide for four consecutive years as of 2019, with China at the forefront.

Reporters overseas like Kevin Green said that if things went wrong during negotiations in Sudan, he wouldn't get to leave the room the room they were held in. "Sudanese warlords at the time in the Sundanese Peoples' Liberation Army, the SPLA, they would have no hesitation about killing you or anyone else."

PTSD can come from direct exposure or vicarious trauma, and while journalists can exhibit a resilience to the effects of trauma it still remains a prevalent issue long-term for a significant minority (Drevo 2016; Feinstein & Owen, 2012; Morales et al., 2014). The rate of PTSD and psychiatric disorders is low despite high exposure to trauma, with time in the field (Simpson & Boggs, 1999), social support and cognitive factors such as self-worth (Pyevich, et al., 2003) playing a part. Factors that can help defend against PTSD and other issues include emotional control (Nelson, 2011), endurance (Smith et al., 2017), and a sense of purpose (Novak & Davidson, 2013).

Rued-Fraser says that dissociation is an inhibitor of someone with PTSD in the workplace. "When they are completely overwhelmed by the emotional and physical symptoms, they may completely dissociate. They may not be aware of what they're doing. They're no longer present in the present. They're absent in space and time."

Behaviour indicative of PTSD in the workplace includes tardiness, missed deadlines and difficulty concentrating (Drevo, 2016; Nelson, 2011).


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