Narratives from the war zone: Trauma experiences among Central-Eastern European correspondents covering the war in Ukraine

The study explored the narratives of foreign correspondents from Central-Eastern Europe covering the war in Ukraine. Using in-depth, semi-structured interviews with journalists from Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and the Czech Republic (N = 13), this research found that journalists experienced mental health challenges such as insomnia, bad dreams, and depression after returning to their home countries. However, they did not ask and were not offered support from their media organizations. Many expressed skepticism about the effects of the war on their well-being, and even if they experienced behavioral changes, they preferred to talk about these changes with their colleagues and fixers. None of the correspondents followed safety protocols or guidelines while covering the war, and they said their media organizations never provided instructions for war coverage and protective equipment was limited. These narratives reveal the personal and organizational sense-making that can occur after journalists have witnessed traumatic events.