Journalism and the Ethical Challenges of Reporting Extreme Violence

This essay explores the multifaceted challenges journalists encounter when reporting on extreme violence, emphasizing the delicate balance between professional obligations, ethical responsibilities, and the potential harm caused by extensive coverage. It delves into the journalist's role in informing the public while considering the impact on victims and the wider community. The essay reflects on the importance of maintaining ethical standards, such as objectivity and sensitivity, while covering traumatic events. It further discusses how media coverage can both raise awareness and potentially re-traumatize victims through intense and prolonged exposure. The analysis includes the media's power to humanize victims and the need for responsible reporting to avoid negative repercussions and promote informed citizenship.

Running head: JOURNALISM AND EXTREME VIOLENCE
Journalism and Extreme Violence
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author’s Note:

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Chosen topic: Journalism and the challenges of reporting
My views on the topic before attending class:
I feel that journalism is an extremely challenging profession where the journalists are
faced with many challenges in covering events of different natures and categories. At the times
when traumatic events are covered, journalists often face situations which they are rarely
prepared to resolve. They need to take care of professional obligations, ethical responsibilities,
the perceived status as well as roles of the journalists, permissible harms along with
inexperience. There are several instances where the journalists face ethical dilemmas at the time
of covering events which are chaotic as well as unpredictable by their very nature. Despite the
fact that the journalists face different types of pressure, they need to ensure that their own
conviction in any situation is maintained and they also go by a certain code of ethics at all times.
Therefore it is my belief that the reporters being responsible citizens of the community
should ensure that there is a balance in the incidents which they report and put forward to be
reported. It needs to be ensured that they perform their job of reporting incidents to the media
well and in the process make more responsible citizens of the country. Simultaneously they
should also avoid the negative repercussions of gruesome incidents and the extensiveness of their
coverage.
My views after attending class and reading from online sources:
Timely and sensitive coverage of the cases involving certain victims can be helpful
specifically in times when the common people need to be made aware about a situation where a
child has been abducted or in emergency crisis situations after a certain disaster. Coverage of
issues particularly involving crimes against children can contribute towards a positive change in

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the society. Media also has the power to humanize a victim and their experiences when they are
facing problems of a serious nature. Media helps in providing a platform where victims can
speak out or certain prior victims can help other victims.
There have been reports of incidents where 22 people had been killed in the Ariana
Grande Concert Attack. There have been incidents where the witness has described the entire
gruelling incident moments after the bombing took place. Apart from this the explosions and
deadly shootings in Paris have been exclusively covered by the media. Situations where the ISI
claimed responsibility for their attacks and the bombs had been discovered where also covered
by the media. There have been several such gruesome incidents which needed a bit of toning
down by the media to avoid far reaching effects. Intense and prolonged coverage of serious
events in the media can lead to re-traumatisation as even the victims are routinely open to such
exposure. There is the fear in the minds of several victims that a certain traumatic event can be
replayed and they exposed to certain traumatic stressors. Showing an unpleasant incident long
after it has occurred can also harm the privacy of the incident specific victims.

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Biblography:
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10 April 2018, from http://www.debate.org/opinions/do-you-believe-violent-crimes-
should-be-reported-by-the-media
Ethicaljournalismnetwork.org. Retrieved 10 April 2018, from
https://ethicaljournalismnetwork.org/resources/publications/ethical-choices-journalists-
war/ethics-safety-solidarity-journalism
The portrayal of violence in the media: impacts and implications for policy. (2018). Australian
Institute of Criminology. Retrieved 10 April 2018, from
https://aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi55
This House would restrict media reporting on violent crimes. (2018). International Debate
Education Association. Retrieved 10 April 2018, from
https://idebate.org/debatabase/culture-media-law-crime-policing/house-would-restrict-
media-reporting-violent-crimes