Media
Disaster and crisis reporting directly affects how people live through an event and how they recover. A guide for journalists and a press room.
9.1
Responsible reporting guide
Eight core principles for reporting on disaster, crisis and trauma.
Verify first
Death tolls, numbers injured and the cause of an event are reported only from official sources and after verification. Uncertainty is stated openly.
Consent and dignity
Before speaking to someone in shock, say who you are and where the story will appear; respect a “no”.
Children
Children’s faces, names and identifying details are not published; interviews with children happen only with an adult present and with consent.
Choosing images
Images of bodies, severe injury and intense suffering re-traumatise. Avoid using the same image over and over.
Reporting on suicide
No details of method or location, no sensational headlines, never present suicide as a “solution” — and always add information on where to find help.
Help information
Every story includes where to get support: 112, the relevant institutions and verified aid channels.
Avoiding stigma
Prefer “affected people” or “survivors” to “victims”; do not present psychological reactions as illness.
The reporter too
Journalists working in disaster areas also carry a risk of secondary trauma. Editors should plan rotation and support.
References
Where the information on this page comes from
- Trauma and journalism
- Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, Columbia University. dartcenter.org
- Reporting on suicide
- World Health Organization (2023). Preventing suicide: a resource for media professionals, update. who.int
- Image and consent principles
- Statute of Travma Afet Kriz Derneği (TAKDER). Art. 5.
- WHO, War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International (2011). Psychological First Aid: Guide for Field Workers. who.int