by James Zipadelli

Created on: May 08, 2009

One of the unfortunate aspects of our craft - whether it's print, on-line, or broadcast - is covering traumatic events such as fires, hurricanes, tornadoes and shootings.

Covering such events seems to buck what we were taught in Journalism 101. That is, journalists are supposed to be detached from situations, objective and fair. Cover the story, and then move on. However, we are human. When we see destruction, we are compelled to act.

When the New York Times covered the victims of the Sept. 11th, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, their goal was to write a few sentences of every victim that died, called, "Portraits of Grief." It was impossible for reporters to cover the story and not feel emotion for the families involved.

When Cho Sueng-Hui left 32 students and faculty members dead at Virginia Tech April 16, 2007, reporters were faced with another traumatic event where they had to interview families, faculty and students.

Journalists have to be able to feel compassion. The lack of an ability to feel is a failure of being human. Often, the media is seen by citizens as a faceless monolith, but editors and reporters have families, too. It's important to ask yourself, "If I was the victim, or involved in the event, how would I have wanted reporters to respond?"

Here are some suggestions for interviewing victims of traumatic events:

1. Put yourself in their shoes. The most difficult part of this is gaining the trust of the victims. They have already been victimized by the event and the last thing they want to see is a camera or a microphone in their faces, with a reporter asking questions. If you show compassion and make them feel that you care about them - and that they're not just a face in a story - you'll be more successful.

2. You may not have the chance to contact the victims directly. If they have a family spokesperson, go through them first. If not, try to write a letter, explaining who you are and what the purpose of your story is. Perhaps there is another family member that could provide assistance.

3. Don't forget about you. Often, in the adrenaline rush of covering stories, we push our personal feelings to the side and don't think of how traumatic events may affect us until later. Keep in contact with your editors and colleagues, not just for covering the story, but also if you find yourself struggling emotionally.

And carry tissues.

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