I just read through the self-care tips from the Dart Center, and I really like them. I think we should print a few copies off and paste them around the newsroom. They would probably do some good in any newsroom in America, or the world, for that matter. I especially like the on-the-job tips. I also really like that they are directed at news media personnel and not just reporters or photographers. Trauma can affect everyone, including copy editors.
A few days last summer when I was on the copy desk, we had an AP wire story about a violent homicide. I don't remember the details of the story at this point. But I do remember that the reporter included some grotesque and graphic details. I read through the article and felt a little sick. I mentioned it to Margaux, and she said when she worked for the Chicago Tribune a few summers back, she often edited multiple homicide stories a night. She said it took a toll on her and that she felt apprehensive about working as a copy editor in larger markets.
I bring this up because we never actually talked about the issue of editing traumatic stories in my copy editing class. We also haven't really discussed it too much in our trauma class. The reporters, photographers and videographers are all witnessing the primary trauma or the immediate aftermath. And the editors go through the story with the reporter. But the copy editor is in a unique position. Copy editors are abstractly aware of stories coming off the wire or the budget, but don't often consider the content until it's right in front of them. They edit at night once the reporters and news editors have left for the day, so they are more disconnected from the production of the content. They also edit several stories in a row, one or many of which could contain difficult content.
The way we managed the stress of reading difficult stories or seeing difficult photos last year was just to talk about it on the desk with each other. The nice part of the copy desk is that it is a unit. It works very collaboratively. In my opinion, the copy desk is actually one of the more collaborative experiences I've had in the newsroom in terms of the constant communication about the workflow. I would often build galleries on deadline with another person and even co-edit stories on pages right before deadline. It's akin to co-reporting. So, I think there is a built-in community to deal with the aftermath of trauma. But I still think it's worth noting that anyone in the newsroom — page designers, headline writers, copy editors — can experience some tough stuff. So, breaks, discussions, assessments and knowing your limits are important for everyone. I think understanding how trauma affects people could definitely be discussed more in the news editing courses, at least at one or two of the lectures throughout the semester. It'll help inform the editing on the desk and help keep the editors emotionally healthy.
P.S. I've been thinking about this topic all weekend in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake. Media folks around the world are looking at some difficult images and reporting some harrowing details about people being crushed, homes being leveled and health care workers attempting to treat more than 5,000 injured people. It's a disturbing story and one that needs to be told, but everything I've read since yesterday has been tough to stomach.
A few days last summer when I was on the copy desk, we had an AP wire story about a violent homicide. I don't remember the details of the story at this point. But I do remember that the reporter included some grotesque and graphic details. I read through the article and felt a little sick. I mentioned it to Margaux, and she said when she worked for the Chicago Tribune a few summers back, she often edited multiple homicide stories a night. She said it took a toll on her and that she felt apprehensive about working as a copy editor in larger markets.
I bring this up because we never actually talked about the issue of editing traumatic stories in my copy editing class. We also haven't really discussed it too much in our trauma class. The reporters, photographers and videographers are all witnessing the primary trauma or the immediate aftermath. And the editors go through the story with the reporter. But the copy editor is in a unique position. Copy editors are abstractly aware of stories coming off the wire or the budget, but don't often consider the content until it's right in front of them. They edit at night once the reporters and news editors have left for the day, so they are more disconnected from the production of the content. They also edit several stories in a row, one or many of which could contain difficult content.
The way we managed the stress of reading difficult stories or seeing difficult photos last year was just to talk about it on the desk with each other. The nice part of the copy desk is that it is a unit. It works very collaboratively. In my opinion, the copy desk is actually one of the more collaborative experiences I've had in the newsroom in terms of the constant communication about the workflow. I would often build galleries on deadline with another person and even co-edit stories on pages right before deadline. It's akin to co-reporting. So, I think there is a built-in community to deal with the aftermath of trauma. But I still think it's worth noting that anyone in the newsroom — page designers, headline writers, copy editors — can experience some tough stuff. So, breaks, discussions, assessments and knowing your limits are important for everyone. I think understanding how trauma affects people could definitely be discussed more in the news editing courses, at least at one or two of the lectures throughout the semester. It'll help inform the editing on the desk and help keep the editors emotionally healthy.
P.S. I've been thinking about this topic all weekend in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake. Media folks around the world are looking at some difficult images and reporting some harrowing details about people being crushed, homes being leveled and health care workers attempting to treat more than 5,000 injured people. It's a disturbing story and one that needs to be told, but everything I've read since yesterday has been tough to stomach.
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