The International Press Center, Lagos is hosting a two-day webinar on Journalism Education and Trauma, with over 60 members of the Journalism Education and Research Group, JETREG in Nigeria, participating virtually.
The event is being hosted on behalf of JETREG, Sub Saharan Africa in collaboration with School of English and Journalism, University of Lincoln, UK and Journalism Subject group at the Media, Arts and Communications Department, Sheffield Hallam University, UK.
According to the Coordinators of JETREG Sub Saharan Africa, Associate Professor Dele Odunlami, of the Olabisi Onabanjo University and Dr Qasim Akinreti, Deputy Director Digital Media, Voice of Nigeria, the two-day virtual event slated for Thursday 18th and Friday 19th November will be addressed by the Representatives of UNESCO; The Dart Centre Europe; Trauma Reporting Ltd; Journalists from all world regions represented in JETREG’s regional research hubs.
Journalism and Trauma Literacy
Senior Nigerian Journalists and academics including Mr. Lanre Arogundade, of IPC, Dr Qasim Akinreti, Mrs Adenike Adegoke, Professor Dele Odunlami, Dr Jide Johnson will discuss Journalism and Trauma Literacy, through focus group discussion.
Psychological responses
Trauma literacy is an unmet objective in the UNESCO’s Safety of Journalists’ policy agenda. Since 2007, the Safety of Journalists’ agenda covers a range of issues from violence, conflict, physical and online abuse, harassment and impunity but overlooks journalists’ emotional and psychological responses to exposure to traumatic events.
This is a pertinent research enquiry because scholarly studies consistently concluded that journalists who regularly covers accidents, natural disasters, crime, cases of rape and child abuse are susceptible to post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and persistent fear.
It was observed that reporters are often ill-prepared to cope with the consequences of covering these assignments and there were stigma attached to the conversations about mental health in journalism and high burnout rates among media workers.
JETREG’s focus
JETREG aims to bridge gaps in research by working towards the development of a professional development course (PDC) to enhance journalism educators’ expertise and confidence to teach trauma; a trauma informed literacy module for journalism students; and by conducting further research to enhance proper understanding of work-related trauma and coping strategies in journalism practice.
The Safe Space event which was organised by JETREG and its growing international network would bring together journalists and journalism educators to develop a common understanding of trauma, informed literacy and how it could be embedded in teaching and professional practice.
Moreover, the Safe Space event also aims to engage with other stakeholders in the debate such as UNESCO, global media organisations, international NGOs and how to overcome the stigma around the topic. Trauma Awareness and Challenges to Teaching Trauma and Charting a Pedagogical Approach to Teaching Trauma in Journalism Education.
In order to ensure the success of the project, a steering Committee of JETREG, including Ola Ogunyemi, Lada Price, Roderick Orner, Stephen Jukes, Jo Healey was inaugurated.
Regional Research Hubs and Journalism icons to participate at the event are: Desiree Hill (North America); Archana Kumari and Mohammad Sahid Ullah (South Asia); Dele Odunlami and Qasim Akinreti (Sub-Saharan Africa); Marijana Markovikj and Eleonora Serafimovska (Western Europe); Karen Neill (Australia and Oceania).
Lateefah Ibrahim
