In a compelling discussion, Bruce Shapiro, an award-winning journalist and Executive Director of the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma, delves into the complex relationship between media and violence. He shares his own experience of being stabbed as a young reporter, shaping his approach to storytelling. Topics covered include the historical roots of fear in journalism, the evolution of empathetic reporting, and the ethical challenges faced by today's journalists. Shapiro emphasizes the importance of prioritizing survivor voices and the responsibilities of media in documenting trauma.
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insights INSIGHT
PTSD Changed Storytelling Forever
The 1981 PTSD diagnosis revolutionized storytelling by centering on survivors' experiences of violence.
It revealed trauma's complex impact on individuals and societies, affecting memory, trust, and moral judgment.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Bruce Shapiro's Stabbing Experience
Bruce Shapiro was stabbed and became a victim of crime rather than only a crime reporter.
This personal trauma changed his perspective and highlighted gaps in how journalists cover victims of violence.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Use Trauma-Sensitive Reporting Toolkit
Journalists must use a special toolkit to build trust with trauma survivors, restoring their agency and ending isolation.
Standard journalistic techniques don't work well for interviewing survivors of violence and trauma.
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From wars with global consequences to violent crimes in the suburbs, trauma underpins so much of the news cycle. It’s something award-winning journalist Bruce Shapiro came to understand intimately when, as a young crime reporter, he was stabbed. It changed his whole perspective on his profession, dedicating a large part of his career to the question of how trauma in yourself - or your source - changes the way you approach a story. Hear how trauma became newsworthy, how reporters learned to better tell those stories, and what it all means in 2025.
The Annual Humanities Horizons Lecture is organised by Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. The Lecture was established in 2013 to provide reflection on and advocacy for the Arts and Humanities. The content of the lecture is the intellectual property of the speaker Bruce Shapiro.
Speaker
Bruce ShapiroExecutive Director of the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma at the Columbia Journalism School
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