{"id":3195,"date":"2024-03-24T20:56:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-24T11:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maumdream.com\/?p=3195"},"modified":"2024-08-07T21:00:17","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T12:00:17","slug":"a-psychiatrists-reflection-on-the-benefit-of-trauma-informed-disaster-reporting-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/maumdream.com\/?p=3195","title":{"rendered":"A psychiatrist’s reflection on the benefit of trauma-informed disaster reporting training"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chan-Seung Chung<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Melbourne in the latter half of 2023, alongside 13 journalists, I was drawn to explore not just the city’s charming wildlife but the depths of trauma recovery through the Dart Centre Asia Pacific\u2019s Trauma-Informed Disaster Reporting Training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My journey into trauma care began with witnessing journalists\u2019 stress and trauma from covering disasters such as the Sewol ferry sinking and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Realising the importance of media in disseminating mental health guidance, I eagerly engaged with journalists, providing interviews and lectures on coping with trauma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meeting respected journalist and trauma expert and DCAP Board Director Chong-ae Lee was a turning point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I decided to accompany Chong-ae to Australia for the Trauma-Informed Disaster Reporting Training course with the Dart Centre Asia Pacific (DCAP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The training \u2013 which started with the hospitality of DCAP\u2019s CEO, Dr Erin Cotter-Smith, its Deputy CEO, Dr Kimina Lyall, and its Project Lead Amantha Perera \u2013 was an excellent program that was also greatly beneficial to a psychiatrist like me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bruce Shapiro, the Executive Director of The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, emphasised a dual necessity for journalists: To understand trauma for sensitive reporting, and to protect their mental wellbeing in high-stress environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This understanding is crucial not just for accurate reporting but for journalists\u2019 long-term resilience and mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Journalists experience \u2018vicarious trauma\u2019 from indirect exposure to disasters, highlighting the need for awareness and personal boundaries to manage this risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This training also covered dealing with \u2018moral injury\u2019 and \u2018online trauma\u2019, presenting challenges that violate journalists\u2019 moral beliefs and expose them to harassment, requiring strong support networks within media organisations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The power of peer support emerged as a significant theme, with journalists sharing their traumatic experiences and offering mutual support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This approach fosters a culture of understanding and aids in recovery, demonstrating that effective help often comes from within the journalistic community itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a tour of ABC Melbourne, beloved Australian Broadcasting Corporation journalist and presenter Lisa Millar hosted a roundtable discussion where she emphasised the importance of openly addressing mental health care, likening it to physical health care, thus challenging any stigma around seeking psychological help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the final day of training, I had the honor of delivering a lecture. I stressed that, while we cannot control the occurrence of trauma, we can determine our response to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Efforts to heal trauma can unify and strengthen communities, highlighting the role of journalists in not only understanding and empathising with trauma but also in contributing to understanding, healing and societal change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This training concluded with a symbol of hope \u2013 sighting of black swans in Albert Park \u2013 representing the potential for positive change in Korean journalism towards trauma awareness and empathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My experience during this training has reinforced my belief in the power of trauma-informed, compassionate reporting to heal and unify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am grateful to all the journalists, trainers, employees and colleagues who shared their insights and experiences, contributing to a deeply enriching learning experience about trauma, its impact, and the path to recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n