Background: News coverage is an important area for the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV), but limited attention has been paid to how journalism students are taught to cover traumatic events, including intimate partner femicides and sexual assaults, among other forms of GBV. Analysis: We review literature on trauma and journalism education, highlight creative pedagogy in GBV education, and consider ways to increase training in trauma- and violence-informed reporting by using simulation-based learning and interview-based theatre. Conclusions and implications: Training in trauma- and violence-informed reporting is increasingly recognized as important, but it is not yet widespread. Journalism training in higher education should go beyond preparing journalists to protect their own mental health and to interview sources respectfully by teaching them about the social contexts, historical myths, and community responsibilities around GBV. We encourage collaboration among GBV prevention experts, journalism teachers, and social-justice-oriented artists to develop creative tools for postsecondary settings.
Fairbairn et al. (Sun,) studied this question.