How can sensitivity improve your reporting on traumatic events?

Reporting on traumatic events can be challenging, emotionally draining, and ethically complex. But it can also be an opportunity to practice sensitivity, which can enhance your journalistic skills, reputation, and impact. Sensitivity means being aware of and respectful towards the feelings, perspectives, and experiences of your sources, audiences, and yourself. In this article, you will learn how sensitivity can improve your reporting on traumatic events in six ways.

1 Build trust

Sensitivity can help you build trust with your sources, especially those who have been affected by trauma. Trust is essential for obtaining accurate, reliable, and meaningful information, as well as for protecting your sources from further harm. To be sensitive, you need to listen actively, empathize genuinely, and communicate clearly. You also need to be transparent about your intentions, expectations, and limitations, and respect your sources' choices, boundaries, and consent.

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Sabrina B.

SEO Manager @ Jordan Digital Marketing
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For me, a more solid foundation would be to lead with empathy vs sensitivity. Looking outside of oneself to better understand and connect. Trust is best established when authenticity is clear and sincere while you listen with the intent to learn, understand, and grow.

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Tracey Donnelly

Community Support Worker and creator of byoi - A Safe Community for survivors of Sexual Violence
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I’m not sure sensitivity is necessarily what you need but certainly empathy and unconditional positive regard, in counselling speak, are very important aspects of building trust. If you go in with a mind to judge people then people will pick up on that and hold back. Dealing with trauma requires vulnerability and you won’t ever get that if you are not trusted.

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Tracey Donnelly

Community Support Worker and creator of byoi - A Safe Community for survivors of Sexual Violence
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I’m not sure sensitivity is necessarily what you need but certainly empathy and unconditional positive regard, in counselling speak, are very important aspects of building trust. If you go in with a mind to judge people then people will pick up on that and hold back. Dealing with trauma requires vulnerability and you won’t ever get that if you are not trusted.

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2 Avoid harm

Sensitivity can help you avoid harming your sources, audiences, and yourself. Harm can take many forms, such as re-traumatizing, stigmatizing, exploiting, or endangering your sources, triggering, distressing, or misinforming your audiences, or experiencing burnout, vicarious trauma, or moral distress yourself. To be sensitive, you need to follow ethical principles, such as accuracy, fairness, balance, and accountability. You also need to use appropriate language, images, and tone, and provide context, support, and resources.

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Tracey Donnelly

Community Support Worker and creator of byoi - A Safe Community for survivors of Sexual Violence
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I think being patient, sensitive and kind to the people you are working with, is incredibly important. You need to be able to ‘tune in’ to the person or people you are working with and really focus on what they need and want from you. I also think playing to your strengths is a good idea. I know I am less effective in a group, because I am easily distracted, so I prefer to work one on one. That way I know people will get the best from me.

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3 Show diversity

Sensitivity can help you show diversity in your reporting on traumatic events. Diversity means recognizing and representing the different identities, backgrounds, and experiences of your sources and audiences, as well as the complexity and nuance of the issues you cover. To be sensitive, you need to seek out and include diverse voices, perspectives, and stories, and avoid stereotypes, generalizations, and assumptions. You also need to acknowledge and challenge your own biases, blind spots, and privileges.

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4 Engage audiences

Sensitivity can help you engage your audiences in your reporting on traumatic events. Engagement means attracting and retaining the attention, interest, and curiosity of your audiences, as well as encouraging them to think critically, feel empathically, and act responsibly. To be sensitive, you need to know your audiences, their needs, preferences, and concerns, and tailor your content, format, and style accordingly. You also need to use storytelling techniques, such as hooks, narratives, and characters, and invite feedback and participation.

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Luke Foster

Speaker | Psychologist with a Dose of Lived Experience
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Understanding mental health often requires firsthand experiences for full comprehension. Interacting with those who've encountered mental health challenges provides invaluable insights and aids in dismantling stigma. Incorporating these experiential elements into reporting and education efforts enhances empathy, fosters understanding, and contributes to more effective coverage and awareness. However, it's crucial not to overlook the significance of quality training to prevent unintentional harm. Let's prioritise both experiential learning and comprehensive training to ensure respectful and impactful mental health communication.

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5 Create impact

Sensitivity can help you create impact with your reporting on traumatic events. Impact means influencing the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of your sources, audiences, and yourself, as well as contributing to social change, justice, and accountability. To be sensitive, you need to have a clear purpose, goal, and message for your reporting, and align them with your sources' and audiences' values and motivations. You also need to provide evidence, analysis, and solutions, and measure and evaluate your outcomes.

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6 Develop skills

Sensitivity can help you develop your journalistic skills, reputation, and career. Skills mean the abilities, knowledge, and competencies that you need to produce high-quality, ethical, and relevant journalism. Reputation means the credibility, authority, and recognition that you gain from your sources, audiences, and peers. Career means the opportunities, challenges, and rewards that you encounter and pursue in your journalistic journey. To be sensitive, you need to learn from your experiences, seek feedback and guidance, and reflect on your practice and growth.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can sensitivity improve your reporting on traumatic events?

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1 Build trust

2 Avoid harm

3 Show diversity

4 Engage audiences

5 Create impact

6 Develop skills

7 Here’s what else to consider

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