Overview

Students will learn how to cover and report on trauma, interviewing techniques, and dealing with victims of trauma. Students will understand the types of traumatic events they will encounter in the field. The objective of this lesson is to get students a thorough idea of what they may see on the job.

Goals for Lesson:

Students will be able to:

* understand what kinds of trauma they will encounter on the job

* learn how to interview victims and/or survivors of trauma

* have a thorough understanding of proper interviewing techniques

Class Length: 80 minutes

Materials/Resources:

1. Different traumatic events (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1077695819900735)

2. PowerPoint Presentation (Interviewing Powerpoint.pptx)

3. Wrong way to interview trauma survivors (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiN_t35vRpc)

Lesson Step by Step

1. First 10 Minutes - Give class brief introduction on traumatic events and things to consider before interviewing survivors of trauma

2. Next 20 Minutes – Types of traumatic events journalists may cover. Be sure to spend a few minutes on each one:

• Natural disasters, such as a tornado, hurricane, fire, or flood

• Sexual assault

• Physical assault

• Witness shooting or stabbing of a person

• Sudden death of a parent or trusted caregiver

• Hospitalization

Discussion with students:

• Any other traumatic situations they can think of?

• Any fears of potentially covering this kind of event?

• Difference between on-scene interviews with victims and pre-scheduled interviews with victims set up for another time

3. Next 20 Minutes – How to properly interview trauma survivors: PowerPoint Presentation (Interviewing Powerpoint.pptx)

Questions to ask class:

• Why must you treat interview delicately?

• How should you approach interviewee?

• Why is it important to get informed consent?

• What should you consider before doing interview?

• What resources should you bring with you to interview?

4. Next 15 minutes – How NOT to interview a trauma survivor. Watch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiN_t35vRpc

Questions to ask class:

• What did the reporter do wrong?

• How could of the reporter handled this differently?

• Should of the reporter interviewed the person instead?

• How would you have handled the situation?

5. Next 5 minutes – Assign Homework

Give students various trauma scenarios (natural disaster, deadly car accident, mass shooting, etc.) which impact survivors and victims. Each student will be given a different scenario that instructor will assign to them. They will then have to draft questions on how they would interview those individuals. Let them know either the instructor or an actor will play the survivor/victim and let them ask me questions. The purpose of this activity is to help students hone their skills in empathetic interviewing when covering a traumatic news event.

6. Next 5 minutes – Ask students if they have any questions. Conclude lesson