"It's Okay to Talk About PTSD" with Former ABC News Producer Jesus Ayala

"The OKC Bombing and a Holistic Approach to Covering Trauma" with Joe Hight

Description: In this delightful conversation with Joe Hight, we explore his 50 years in newspaper journalism through the lens of trauma. Joe discusses a holistic approach to looking at trauma from the perspectives of the victims, the community and the journalists who cover it. And he should know…. As the Community Editor of The Oklahoman, he oversaw their award-winning and innovative coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. We talk about that, his new book, and much more in this episode. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:13 Joe's Journey in Journalism 04:34 Bringing Awareness to Journalism and Trauma 09:39 Thinking about Trauma Holistically 10:58 Covering the Oklahoma City Bombing 12:33 Thinking Differently about Victim Coverage 14:34 Experience from Previous Tragedy Coverage 15:46 Brining Trauma Training to his Newsroom 17:45 Frank Ochberg and the Beginnings of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma 22:06 The Importance of Journalists as part of the Community 25:19 The Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial 27:09 The Survivors' Tree 29:09 A Career Shaped by Oklahoma City Tragedy 32:31 The Importance of Trauma Champions 33:29 Navigating Reporter Responses 35:57 Understanding Management Responsibility 37:50 The Impact of Local vs. National Journalists 40:50 Joe's Latest Book on Trauma and Resilience 44:27 Stories of Victims and Journalists 46:34 Audience for the Book 47:44 Themes in the Book 51:35 His Inspiration from the Book 54:25 Looking Ahead 55:36 Conclusion 56:49 Closing Show Notes: Joe Hight https://www.oklahomahof.com/author/joe-hight [https://www.oklahomahof.com/author/joe-hight] Edmond Post Office Massacre https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=ED003 [https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=ED003] Oklahoma City Bombing https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=OK026 [https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=OK026] People Mentioned: Ed Kelley https://okjournalismhalloffame.com/2003/carl-ed-kelley/ [https://okjournalismhalloffame.com/2003/carl-ed-kelley/] Frank Ochberg https://istss.org/istss-lifetime-achievement-award-presented-to-ochberg-istss/ [https://istss.org/istss-lifetime-achievement-award-presented-to-ochberg-istss/] Congressman Bill Brewster https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=BR013 [https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=BR013] David Handschuh https://www.davidhandschuh.com/ [https://www.davidhandschuh.com/] Mike Walter https://www.cgtn.com/face/mike-walter.html [https://www.cgtn.com/face/mike-walter.html] Organizations Mentioned: Global Center for Journalism and Trauma https://gcjt.org/ [https://gcjt.org/] Oklahoma City Newspaper – The Oklahoman https://www.oklahoman.com/ [https://www.oklahoman.com/] Oklahoma City Memorial https://memorialmuseum.com/ [https://memorialmuseum.com/]

"Commemorating Trauma: The Impact of Anniversary Journalism" with Indri Maulidar

Description Former journalist and doctoral student Indri Maulidar talks about her study of journalists who covered the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami and the effects of anniversary coverage on their mental health and well-being. In this episode we talk about the effects of anniversary coverage on journalists as well as the victims themselves, how journalists who cover big events become “experts” of that event during anniversaries, and what newsrooms can do to make anniversary coverage easier while still capitalizing on their journalists’ experience from the event. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:39 From Journalism to Academia 05:21 Why study anniversary journalism? 07:57 Journalists and Anniversary Coverage 11:16 News Organizations and Anniversary Coverage 14:06 Journalist as "unofficial" anniversary expert 17:13 Acceptance of the lack of support 19:45 Feelings of Guilt 22:33 Journalists as Victims 25:50 The Cycle of Anniversary Coverage 27:43 Advice for Newsrooms 30:43 Journalists as Agents of Memory 34:31 Future Research 37:22 Conclusion 37:42 Closing Show Notes Indri Maulidar LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/indri-maulidar/?isSelfProfile=false [https://www.linkedin.com/in/indri-maulidar/?isSelfProfile=false] Indri Maulidar Bio - https://sjmc.wisc.edu/news/staff/maulidar-indri/ [https://sjmc.wisc.edu/news/staff/maulidar-indri/] More on the 2004 Indian Ocean (Boxing Day) Tsunami - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and_tsunami [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and_tsunami] “The Impossible” – Movie based on the tsunami - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1649419/ [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1649419/] Maulidar, I. (2025). Commemorating trauma: The impact of anniversary journalism on journalists’ mental health and well-being. Journalism, online first. DOI: 10.1177/14648849251384495

"Disaster Journalism" with Dr. Mimi Perreault

Description: On this episode, I team up with Dr. Mimi Perreault from the University of South Florida to talk all things disaster reporting. We dig into the vital role journalists play before, during and after natural disaster hits, as well as how to build relationships with your community that pay dividends in the aftermath. We also discuss how coverage of the victims can lead to meaningful change despite those stories being the most difficult to do. Dr. Perreault has been fascinated by natural disaster since she was a child, and I hope you find her information fascinating as well! Chapter List: 00:00 Intro 01:18 A Career Dictated by Disaster 04:11 The Vital Role of Journalists During Disaster 08:01 Journalists are also a part of the Community during Disaster 11:31 Misinformation and Hurricane Helene 16:00 Journalists and PIOs during Disaster 20:04 Thoughtful Selection of Stories during Disaster 22:41 Creating Relationships Prior to Disaster 25:48 Reporting on and Supporting a Community 28:06 The Role of Journalists in Disaster Recovery 31:51 Thoughtful Coverage of Victims 35:40 The Importance of Positive Storytelling 38:17 Stories can have lasting impact 43:20 News Deserts and Connecting with your Community 45:36 Coping with Disaster as a Journalist 48:55 How to Connect with Dr. Perreault 49:19 Closing   Show Notes: Learn more about Dr. Mimi Perreault here. [https://www.usf.edu/arts-sciences/departments/zimmerman-school/people/faculty/mildred.perreault.aspx] Follow her on Instagram: @mediatingmimi Her articles we spoke about: Perreault, M. F. (2026). The dynamic between journalists and disaster communicators: Best practices in crisis and disaster information sharing. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 54(1), 70–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2025.2573959 [https://doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2025.2573959] Walsh, J. F., & Perreault, M. (2023). What’s with the water: The nature of reporting on the problem of nitrates in Nebraska. Newspaper Research Journal, 44(1), 53-70. https://doi.org/10.1177/07395329221143381 [https://doi.org/10.1177/07395329221143381] Perreault, M. (2021). Journalism Beyond the Command Post: Local Journalists as Strategic Citizen Stakeholders in Natural Disaster Recovery. Journalism Studies, 22(10), 1279–1297. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2021.1950565 [https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2021.1950565] Other resources mentioned: Local News Go-Bag Toolkit: https://rjionline.org/news/introducing-the-local-news-go-bag-toolkit/ [https://rjionline.org/news/introducing-the-local-news-go-bag-toolkit/] Global Center for Journalism and Trauma: https://gcjt.org/ [https://gcjt.org/] Journalism Education and Trauma Research Group (JETREG): https://jetreg.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/ [https://jetreg.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/]

"From Pandemic to Protests" with Anna Huntsman

Description It’s never easy starting out in your first job as a reporter, but trying doing it right as a historic pandemic takes hold of the country. Follow that up with two police-involved fatal shootings, and you have the first few years of Anna Huntsman’s journalism career at Ideastream Public Radio in Cleveland, Ohio. In this episode, she talks candidly about how hard her first years were and how she coped with everything from isolation to protests and bodycam footage. She also shares valuable lessons for new and younger journalists, plus some of her favorite stories. Chapters 00:00 Show Open 01:15 Anna Welcome 01:49 Anna's Career Journey 03:25 Falling in Love with Audio Storytelling 05:40 New Reporter Covering the Pandemic 08:27 Life without a Newsroom 11:06 Navigating a Pandemic 12:45 From a Pandemic to Civil Unrest 16:14 High Stress/High Emotion as a New Reporter 19:37 Another Police-Involved Shooting 21:55 Reporting on Graphic Body Cam Footage 23:37 Staying Focused on the Role 24:55 Coping with the Emotional Burden 26:51 Finding Joy in Hobbies 30:04 Lessons Learned about Boundaries and Capacity 35:20 Reflecting on Growth 38:54 Reflecting on Best Work 43:31 Conclusion Show Notes Anna’s Bio: https://www.ideastream.org/news/people/anna-huntsman [https://www.ideastream.org/news/people/anna-huntsman] Anna’s Series, “Hidden History”: https://www.ideastream.org/hidden-history [https://www.ideastream.org/hidden-history] On Instagram: @ideastreamneo Anna’s Story “Wooster Woman Shares Barriers Deaf Immigrants Face in Citizenship Process”: https://www.ideastream.org/community/2025-03-03/journey-is-not-yet-over-wooster-woman-shares-barriers-deaf-immigrants-face-in-citizenship-process [https://www.ideastream.org/community/2025-03-03/journey-is-not-yet-over-wooster-woman-shares-barriers-deaf-immigrants-face-in-citizenship-process] Names/Organizations/Events Mentioned: Kent State University School of Media and Journalism: www.kent.edu/mdj [http://www.kent.edu/mdj] News21 Fellowship: https://news21.com/join-our-team/ [https://news21.com/join-our-team/] Amanda Rabinowitz: https://www.ideastream.org/news/people/amanda-rabinowitz [https://www.ideastream.org/news/people/amanda-rabinowitz] 2022 – Jayland Walker: https://www.ideastream.org/tags/jayland-walker [https://www.ideastream.org/tags/jayland-walker] 2024 – Jazmir Tucker: https://www.ideastream.org/tags/jazmir-tucker [https://www.ideastream.org/tags/jazmir-tucker]

"Black Journalists and the Trauma of Covering George Floyd" with Dr. Denetra Walker

Description In this episode, Dr. Denetra Walker breaks down the findings of her study, “’I saw a modern-day lynching’ – Black Journalists’ experiences of trauma #reportingwhileblack,” which was published in Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly in 2025. She provides a fascinating look into the emotional trauma the story caused for her study participants, plus the delicate balancing act Black journalists faced while reporting under such volatile conditions. It’s an eye-opening look into how journalists of color navigated such a racially polarizing story. Chapters 00:00 Open 01:06 Intro to Dr. Denetra Walker 05:17 Academia is NOT like News! 07:09 Why did she do her study? 10:00 Black Journalists' Reactions to the Video of George Floyd 14:02 The Emotional Toll of Covering Black Deaths 15:58 Black Journalists' Struggle with the Decision to Watch the Video 18:18 Contributions of Newsroom Culture 21:16 Needing a Break but not wanting to Take One 26:37 The Compounding of Emotional Burden 27:56 Black Journalists and Extreme Self-Monitoring 33:14 Black Journalists Caught in the Middle 35:28 Seeking Emotional Support 36:53 The Pursuit of "Objectivity" 40:15 The Personal Connection in Storytelling 43:09 More on Extreme Self-Monitoring 46:06 Added Pressure and Trauma Symptoms 47:37 Bringing Research to the Classroom 52:04 Bringing Research to the Newsroom 56:38 George Floyd Still Resonates 58:11 Future Research Directions 01:01:51 Closing Show Notes Learn more about Dr. Denetra Walker here. [https://grady.uga.edu/faculty/walker-2/] Contact Dr. Walker: DenetraWalker@uga.edu [DenetraWalker@uga.edu] Article Citation: Walker, D. (2025). “I Saw a Modern-Day Lynching”: Black Journalists’ Experiences of Trauma #ReportingWhileBlack. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly (online first August 27, 2025), DOI: 10.1177/10776990251361797