FOR journalists, Investigators & survivor support workers
In this peer-reviewed research paper published in the September 2021 issue of the Journal of Community Safety & Well-Being, Pickup Communications founder Tamara Cherry explores the impact of the media on survivors of homicide and traffic fatality. She also explores issues related to the journalists who report on these events, including pre-career and on-the-job trauma training, and the personal impact of reporting on trauma.
This study draws upon the surveys of 71 homicide and traffic fatality survivors, and 22 journalists who cover trauma. Participants were from across Canada and the United States, with the exception of one homicide survivor from New Zealand.
Shared with permission from Echo Training
For TRAUMA SURVIVORS
If you’re considering consenting to an interview with a journalist, or supporting a survivor who is, you may be thinking about what sorts of questions will be asked during the interview. But you should also be considering what questions you should ask the journalist ahead of time. In order to grant informed consent, you need to know what you are signing up for.
This document from Echo Training is an excellent resource to get you thinking about what your journey with the media might entail, and empower you before, during, and after your interview.
For insight into how stories of trauma are told
In The Trauma Beat, an eye-opening combination of investigative journalism and memoir, former big-city crime reporter and Pickup Communications founder Tamara Cherry calls on her award-winning skills as a journalist to examine the impact of the media on trauma survivors and the impact of trauma on members of the media. As Tamara documents the experiences of those who were forced to suffer on the public stage, she is confronted by everything she got wrong on the crime beat.
Covering murders and traffic fatalities to sexual violence and mass violence, Cherry exposes a system set up to fail trauma survivors and journalists. Why do some families endure a swell of unwanted attention after the murder of a loved one, while others suffer from a lack of attention? What is it like to have a microphone shoved in your face seconds after escaping the latest mass shooting? What is the lasting impact on the reporter holding that microphone? The Trauma Beat explores these issues with the raw, reflective detail of a journalist moving from ignorance to understanding and shame to healing.
A starred review in Quill & Quire called The Trauma Beat “a stunning work that should be required reading for journalism students, news reporters, true crime junkies, and anyone who wants to write narratives that heal, instead of harm.” HuffPost compared The Trauma Beat to Prince Harry’s Spare, calling it a “brilliant and honest debut” that shows “the messy blurry lines of entertainment, public personas, sense of privacy and autonomy, and ravenous way the public thrives on public anguish.” Publishers Weekly wrote that The Trauma Beat “makes a convincing case for centering the feelings of victims and survivors in stories of violence and tragedy,” and that it is “a revealing take for journalists and true crime junkies alike.”
The Trauma Beat was published in May 2023.
Shared with permission from Echo Training
For Journalists who cover trauma
If you’re a journalist, chances are, you’ve been trained to gather as much information as possible, as quickly as possible, so as to tell as comprehensive a story as possible. For many stories, this is fine — but not when it comes to trauma. By following trauma-informed principles, you will not only reduce the harm that comes from the traditional newsgathering and storytelling process, but your story will be better for it.
When a survivor’s trauma responses are activated, they are less capable of sharing their story in a thoughtful and accurate way. By implementing trauma-informed care into your reporting, you will be ensuring the best possible experience for the survivor and for yourself, and the best possible outcome for your story.
This infographic from Echo Training is an excellent resource for understanding trauma-informed practice.
for an understanding of human trafficking
Before founding Pickup Communications, Tamara Cherry was an award-winning crime reporter with an expertise in the domestic sex trafficking of women and girls. Inspired by true events, All the Bumpy Pebbles is a must-read for anyone with kids in their lives — whether you parent them, teach them, police them, shelter them, counsel them, or pass them on the street.
A portion of the proceeds will support Covenant House Toronto.
Synopsis: When it comes to bad days, Roxanne Brown has had more than most. Her mom’s a drunk. Her dad’s not around. And the haircut she got before her first day of high school was a total disaster. Soon, a seemingly serendipitous encounter gives her a reason to celebrate. He’s cute and confident and best of all, he likes her — like, really likes her. But Roxanne has been duped. And as she plummets down the rabbit hole, crumbs of herself are left in all the dark places we would rather not see. Will Roxanne make it out? Or has she lost too much of herself to survive?