José Luis González, a photojournalist for El Norte newspaper, risks his life every to cover murder scenes at Ciudad Juárez as do most of journalists in one of the most dangerous cities of the world. (Ivan Pierre Aguirre/Borderzine.com)

Reporters can experience ‘vicarious trauma’ when covering violent events

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WASHINGTON – Journalists are regularly put into emotional situations, covering murders, natural disasters or wars. They watch as a family member grieves over a lost loved one and as protesters speak out against their violent government. Many put themselves in danger when they cover these situations. When the violence erupted in Egypt on Wednesday, journalists were among the dead. Reporters and news organizations have started to recognize and talk about the effects of covering traumatic situations on journalists.