IMI director: The media needs a designated standard for reporting on traumatic events
Ukrainian media should develop a special clause in their editorial policies that would regulate reporting on traumatic events, said Oksana Romaniuk, director of the Institute of Mass Information, at the Heorhiy Gongadze Award conference Media Days in Kyiv on November 16.
She said that media outlets should discuss the coverage of traumatic events within their teams and consult with journalistic organizations such as the Institute of Mass Information or the Commission on Journalistic Ethics.
"I would recommend media outlets to develop a special clause in their editorial policies. To take these standards and simply outline them in the editorial policy: how we report about it, how and to what extent we blur things out, how we report on deaths. And, perhaps, it is worth involving psychologists for this. Psychologists could help the media develop these practices," said Oksana Romaniuk.
The IMI director said that many journalists are experiencing secondary trauma and urged them to practice self-care.
"The media often pay no attention to their state. Many journalists experience secondary trauma by being witnesses. Those who film on the battlefield experience PTSD. It is very important that media teams remember that trauma is about them, too. And remember that they need to take care of themselves," said Oksana Romaniuk.
The panel "How to reduce traumatization through media in wartime". Photo by the Heorhiy Gongadze Award
Also, see tips for media professionals on how to report on prisoners of war by Suspilne Daria Hryhorenko, who works with POWs and their families.
The Media Days also featured an exhibition dedicated to the deceased media workers. Visitors could read the journalists' biographies and see their photos. The exhibition was organized by the Heorhiy Gongadze Award together with PEN Ukraine and the Institute of Mass Information (IMI) as part of the RECviem project – a memorial platform for the journalists who died as a result of Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine.
The exhibition on deceased media professionals. Photo by the Heorhiy Gongadze Award
The annual Heorhiy Gongadze Award conference Media Days took place in Kyiv on November 14–16. Prominent journalists, editors, media managers, communications officers and business representatives discussed the challenges and trends in the media space in Ukraine and abroad. The Institute of Mass Information was the event's information partner.
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