Presentation "Mental trauma in journalism"

The presentation is aimed at reporters, journalists, people working in the field of journalism and communication in Vietnam, and students majoring in Journalism and Communication.

The presentation mentioned the fact that psychological trauma during the work of journalists is a common problem, especially for journalists who write about accidents, natural disasters, fires, wars, etc. And protecting their own safety and limiting mental trauma during the work is extremely necessary for reporters.

Dr. Cait McMahon - Founding and Executive Director of the Dart Asia Pacific Center

With her experience of regularly working with journalists and helping them with psychological trauma, Dr. Cait McMahon taught the delegates how to overcome these traumas, how to take care of themselves, overcome trauma, overcome dangerous situations...

“Why are we talking about trauma, and how does it relate to journalism? At the Dart Centre, we have a great saying: ‘Healthy journalists are good journalists.’ And if you understand trauma, you can understand the terrible things that the people you are reporting or writing about have gone through,” Dr. Cait McMahon suggests.

Dr. Cait McMahon talks with reporters, journalists and media workers in Vietnam

In the presentation, the speaker explained and distinguished two concepts that people often confuse: “trauma” and “stress”. “Trauma” is a life-threatening or extremely violent event that is experienced by oneself or witnessed by others, and can even be affected through online tools if work is involved. This is what makes trauma different from long-term stress or discomfort. “Stress” usually only occurs in daily life, when encountering problems that are beyond one’s tolerance and response. It is the influence of each level of trauma, exhaustion or stress that will lead to different mental health problems and treatments.

Reactions to traumatic events can be very normal, or abnormal such as: trembling, crying, stomachache, headache, loss of concentration, loss of confidence, nightmares, restlessness, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and many other symptoms... This is a self-defense mechanism that affects the brain structure and psychophysiological reactions when the body is pushed into an alarm state.

Dr. Cait McMahon talks with students of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication

Students of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication ask questions to the speaker

“Even though you think it’s probably not a good idea to interview someone who’s suffering, you’re still willing to go because of the assignment. And deep down inside, there’s a moral vulnerability, meaning you don’t believe in what you’re doing and you don’t think it’s right to do it. Interviewing a traumatized person is important, but deep down inside your moral code, you’re going to feel like something’s not quite right,” the expert shared.

Dr. Cait McMahon believes that understanding psychological trauma will, first, help reporters make more informed choices about how to report. Second, it will help journalists convey messages more ethically and fully. Therefore, the community will also have a better understanding of the mental injuries that can occur in life.

“You wouldn’t send someone who doesn’t know anything about football to cover a game, so why send a reporter to cover a disaster or a traumatic event, when they don’t understand trauma and its impact? Reporting is a very risky job, and we often don’t even know that we are experiencing psychological trauma while reporting. Research has shown that 80-100% of journalists will experience at least one event that has the potential to cause a severe traumatic reaction,” added Dr. Cait McMahon.

Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Thu Huong (Head of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication) and Dr. Cait McMahon. The Faculty of Journalism and Communication strengthens cooperation in organizing seminars and presentations on operational issues in the field of journalism and communication for Vietnamese reporters, journalists and students majoring in Journalism and Communication.

Dr. Cait McMahon's speech attracted the attention and inspired many reporters, journalists, media workers, and students of Journalism and Communication. In particular, students from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities also impressed the experts through their direct, confident and fluent Q&A session in English on many issues of interest to young Vietnamese people, especially the story of how they themselves overcame psychological trauma.

The presentation ended with open questions for delegates and students to reflect and clearly define: the meaning, goals, and missions of their choice of journalism, while helping them strengthen their determination to pursue their future careers.