Preparing for the Worst: Making a Case for Trauma Training in the Journalism Classroom

Abstract

This study is an attempt to build support for including trauma training in the journalism classroom. Qualitative interviews with students who covered a death-penalty murder trial and results from a quantitative survey of journalism students are combined to show that preparing students for the emotional reactions they may experience while covering the news is not only needed but wanted by the students themselves. Implications and directions for future research are also discussed.