Reporting (tragedies): How to be a better journalist and a better human
Whether you're a blogger who occasionally takes on the news, or a full-time reporter, you can only hope never to cover an event like Monday's shootings at Virginia Tech.
But if you do find yourself in the middle of a situation where peoples' lives are at stake -- whether it's a domestic conflict down the block or an awful accident (think Santa Monica Farmer's Market), do you know how to behave? How do you report responsibly, sans stereotypes, red herrings or risks to your own safety?
College of New Jersey Professor Kim Pearson, whose own campus community recently experienced a media storm around the loss of a student, has written the best primer on reporting tragedies that I've ever read. In "Covering tragedy: Emerging lessons from the Virginia Tech Killings," Prof. Kim asks and answers:
1. Citizen journalists need to know basic safety rules for covering a dangerous story.
2. Watch the headlines.
3. Be careful about the "myths" that can become part of the narrative in a story like this one.
4. Be careful about the experts you choose to interview.
5.Try to stay independent of others' political, and personal agendas.
6. Campus safety issues have their own complexity
7. Watch out for the rumor patrol
8. Be thoughtful about stereotypes.
9. Above all, remember that this is a story about people.
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