Eyewitness to Disaster: how journalists cope with the psychological stress inherent in reporting traumatic events

Journalists' professional work routines often place them in disturbing and/or dangerous situations where they must confront their own vulnerability, and especially in the case of war correspondents and news photographers their own mortality. Inevitably they must deal with the psychological impact of the grieving and sometimes even the shock and disorientation of the human subjects of their stories. Ironically, journalists in such situations are often the ones ignored in terms of the emotional impact of what they are witnessing. How do journalists cope in the face of profound human tragedy and personal risk? Drawing on Sigmund Freud's conceptual model concerning the nature and working of the human mental apparatus, and subsequent major contributions by others who elaborated on and expanded the understanding of ego functions, this essay examines successful journalists' mental activities that aid them in coping with stress in the course of their work. The seasoned journalists interviewed offer introspective accounts of their professional experiences, revealing the broad range of conscious choices they make in their work which allow them to function at a high level in maximally challenging situations.