By Erin Smith (CEO, Dart Centre Asia Pacific) and Trina McLellan (Board Chair, Dart Centre Asia Pacific)

As the crisis in Ukraine continues and the situation rapidly escalates between Israel and Hamas, viewing traumatic images of violence, death, and destruction is a daily task for many journalists who work on the digital frontline.

Even when events depicted are far away, journalists immersed in explicit, violent, and disturbing photos,  video or violent news may be affected by cumulative trauma exposure. Reactions such as disgust, anxiety and helplessness are not unusual. Some may find images resurfacing as intrusive thoughts and disrupted sleep.

From research, we know exposure to limited amounts of traumatic imagery is unlikely to cause more than passing distress, mostly because media workers are typically a highly resilient group. Nevertheless, the dangers of what psychologists call vicarious traumatisation become significant where the exposure is repeated. Risk also increases when a journalist has some personal connection to events at the scene.

We know exposure to traumatic imagery can be associated with distress. In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association amended its guidelines on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to recognise that immersive work with traumatic imagery is a specific risk factor for journalists absorbing such images regularly in their jobs. 

Here are six steps the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma’s Gavin Rees suggests can reduce that load:

1.  Understand what you are dealing with. Think of traumatic imagery as having a dose-dependent effect. Journalists have a job to do. At the same time, they should take sensible steps to minimise unnecessary exposure. Frequency of viewing may be more of an issue than overall volume, so think about pacing your trauma-image load and ensuring down time.
2. Eliminate needless repeat exposure. Review sorting and tagging procedures – and how digital files and folders are organised, among other procedures – to reduce unnecessary viewing. When verifying footage by cross-referencing images from a wide variety of sources, taking written notes of distinctive features may help to minimise how often you need to recheck against an original image. Never pass such material onto a co-worker without some warning as to what the files contain.
3. Experiment with different ways of building some distance into how you view images. Some people find concentrating on certain details – for instance clothes – and avoiding others, such as faces, helps. Consider applying a temporary matte/mask to distressing areas of the image. Film editors should avoid using the loop play function when trimming footage of violent attacks and point-of-death imagery, or use this very sparingly.  Develop your own workarounds. 
4. Try adjusting the viewing environment. Reducing the window size or adjusting the screen’s brightness or resolution can lessen perceived impact. Do you need to look at images in colour? If not, try viewing them in black and white. Turn the sound off when you can – it’s often the most affecting part. 
5. Take frequent screen breaks. Look at something pleasing, walk around, stretch or seek out contact with nature (such as greenery and fresh air, etc.) This can help reduce the body’s distress responses. Avoid working with distressing images just before going to sleep and be careful with alcohol – it disrupts sleep and makes nightmares worse.
6. Craft your own self-care plan. Don’t forget the importance of maintaining a balance between work and other aspects of life. Exercise and finding time for friends and family are important ways of restoring balance. Take time to reflect: The material you are working with could provoke moral questions and challenge personal values and beliefs. You may find it helpful to talk to friends who have similar interests and values. Keeping a journal can also be a good way of both processing reactions and reconnecting with what matters to you. 

Some additional tips for news editors and others in management roles in newsrooms: 

• Every member of a team should be briefed on normal responses to trauma. Team members should understand that different people cope differently, how the impact of trauma can accumulate over time, and how to recognise when they or their colleagues need to practise more active self-care. This applies to all media workers, including support and technical staff. 
• Have clear guidelines for your team on how graphic material is stored and shared. Feeds, files and internal communications about traumatic imagery should be clearly signposted and distributed only to those who need them. Nobody should be forced to watch video images that will never be broadcast. 
• Environment matters. If possible, workplaces that deal with violent imagery should have windows with a view of the outside. Bring in plants and other natural elements that can also help to build in some separation from the violence team is being exposed to.  

For a more in-depth guide, please see the Dart Centre's Handling Traumatic Imagery: Developing a Standard Operating Procedure

The Dart Centre Asia Pacific helps journalists and news organisations understand and manage traumatic stress. For more information, contact DCAP’s CEO at erin.smith@dartaspac.org