War, Trauma & Disaster

Many journalists are sent to cover war, trauma and other forms of disaster throughout the world. Through doing this, they help to inform the global community on international happenings. 

Journalists who report on war face several challenges, including a decrease of public interest in international crises, military censorship and lack of preparation. Journalists are often not subject to any sort of preparation before being deployed on war coverage, however Reporters Sans Frontieres work to ensure safety of journalists who are reporting in war zones. 

RSF have eight principals in place in order to protect journalists covering stories in war torn areas. These principals are:

1.       Commitment:

editors and management are to assess risk of conflict zones.

2.       Free will:

journalists face no obligation to cover dangerous stories.

3.       Experience:

covering war stories requires experience and maturity.

4.       Preparation:

regular training for journalists is required before covering a war story.

5.       Equipment:

safety equipment should be supplied by management.

6.       Insurance:

insurance should be supplied by management.

7.       Counselling:

management should supply pre- and post-psychoanalysis.

8.       Legal protection:

management should supply legal protection for journalists covering war stories.

Reporters Sans Frontieres have also published a handbook on key things to do when reporting in a war or conflict zone. Some of these things include wearing white – as it is associated with the press, and does not carry the motifs of other colours, such as armies being associated with green, or rebels being associated with black – always carrying your passport on your person, keeping multiple copies for border patrols, police and embassies, always having current maps and physical compasses on your person, maintaining your discretion, and keeping your car engine running while passing through checkpoints.

In addition to this, when covering a foreign story, it is likely that a journalist will be given a fixer. A fixer is a person local to the country who offers services to the journalist, such as driving the journalist to certain destinations or translating for the journalist. Due to the wide variations in culture types, fixers can often be important in providing cultural understanding. In ransom situations, fixers are often held hostage with the journalist that they are working for, and thus the relationship between a journalist and their fixer can be the difference between life and death.

When covering stories that deal with injustice and death, it is common for a journalist to experience what is known as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This mental illness is not only associated with individuals who have first-hand experienced traumatic events, but also with those who are surrounded by these events in any manner. The Dart Centre, founded at Columbia Journalism School, has helped thousands of journalists worldwide cope with PTSD after covering war, trauma and disaster.