A Psychiatrist's Reflection on
Trauma-Informed Disaster Report Training
A Psychiatrist's Reflection on the Benefit of Trauma-Informed Disaster Reporting Training
Chan-Seung Chung, MD, PhD, Psychiatrist
Director of the Social Responsibility Committee of the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association
In Melbourne in the latter half of 2023, alongside 13 journalists, I was drawn to explore not just the city's charming wildlife but the depths of trauma recovery through the Dart Centre Asia Pacific’s Trauma-Informed Disaster Reporting Training.
My journey into trauma care began with witnessing journalists’ stress and trauma from covering disasters such as the Sewol ferry sinking and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Realising the importance of media in disseminating mental health guidance, I eagerly engaged with journalists, providing interviews and lectures on coping with trauma.
Meeting respected journalist and trauma expert Chong-ae Lee was a turning point.
I decided to accompany Chong-ae to Australia for the Trauma-Informed Disaster Reporting Training course with the Dart Centre Asia Pacific (DCAP).
The training – which started with the hospitality of DCAP’s CEO, Dr Erin Smith, its Deputy CEO, Dr Kimina Lyall, and its Project Lead Amantha Perera – was an excellent program that was also greatly beneficial to a psychiatrist like me.
Bruce Shapiro, the executive director of the global Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, emphasised a dual necessity for journalists: To understand trauma for sensitive reporting, and to protect their mental wellbeing in high-stress environments.
This understanding is crucial not just for accurate reporting but for journalists’ long-term resilience and mental health.
Journalists experience ‘vicarious trauma’ from indirect exposure to disasters, highlighting the need for awareness and personal boundaries to manage this risk.
This training also covered dealing with ‘moral injury’ and ‘online trauma’, presenting challenges that violate journalists’ moral beliefs and expose them to harassment, requiring strong support networks within media organisations.
The power of peer support emerged as a significant theme, with journalists sharing their traumatic experiences and offering mutual support.
This approach fosters a culture of understanding and aids in recovery, demonstrating that effective help often comes from within the journalistic community itself.
During a tour of ABC Melbourne, beloved Australian Broadcasting Corporation journalist and presenter Lisa Millar hosted a roundtable discussion where she emphasised the importance of openly addressing mental health care, likening it to physical health care, thus challenging any stigma around seeking psychological help.
On the final day of training, I had the honor of delivering a lecture. I stressed that, while we cannot control the occurrence of trauma, we can determine our response to it.
Efforts to heal trauma can unify and strengthen communities, highlighting the role of journalists in not only understanding and empathising with trauma but also in contributing to understanding, healing and societal change.
This training concluded with a symbol of hope – sighting of black swans in Albert Park – representing the potential for positive change in Korean journalism towards trauma awareness and empathy.
My experience during this training has reinforced my belief in the power of trauma-informed, compassionate reporting to heal and unify.
I am grateful to all the journalists, trainers, employees and colleagues who shared their insights and experiences, contributing to a deeply enriching learning experience about trauma, its impact, and the path to recovery.
Acknowledgments:
I would like to express my special thanks to Chong-ae Lee for inviting me to this course, Manhee Yang, president of the Korea Broadcasting Journalist Association, for graciously allowing me to join, Kang-Seob Oh, president of the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association, for actively supporting cooperation between journalists and psychiatrists, and Jong-Woo Paik, director of the special committee of Law and Society, for his support and encouragement.
I would also like to express my respect and love to the 12 journalists, Yeongho Kim, Hyojung Nam, Junyoung Moon, Seok-ho Shin, Min Sik Ahn, Cheol Hee Woo, Eun Jung Lee, Ja-eun Lee, Da Jung Jung, Eui Jin Jeong, Dae-woong Choi, and Hyebin Ha, who shared their painful and precious experiences of trauma and recovery and showed me sincere hospitality.
I extend my deepest gratitude to Dr. Erin Smith, Dr. Kimina Lyall, Amantha Perera, Bruce Shapiro, Professor Alexandra Wake, Professor Matthew Ricketson, Gina Mammone, and Alexandra Mitchell for their exceptional education and training. Special thanks also to Lisa Rowe and Yeonjae Lee for their excellent administrative work. Lastly, I wish to express my appreciation to our interpreter, Rachel Lee, for her remarkable skill in the challenging task of interpreting trauma-related discussions.
Trauma-Informed Disaster Reporting Training
Korea Broadcasting Journalist Association & Dart Centre Asia Pacific
August 25-30, Melbourne, Australia
Participants:
Chong-ae Lee, Yeongho Kim, Hyojung Nam, Junyoung Moon, Seok-ho Shin, Min Sik Ahn, Cheol Hee Woo, Eun Jung Lee, Ja-eun Lee, Da Jung Jung, Eui Jin Jeong, Dae-woong Choi, and Hyebin Ha, Chan-Seung Chung
Facilitators:
Dr. Erin Smith: CEO, Dart Centre Asia Pacific
Dr. Kimina Lyall: Deputy CEO, Dart Centre Asia Pacific
Amantha Perera: Project Lead, Dart Centre Asia Pacific
Bruce Shapiro: Executive Director, Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma
Associate Professor Alexandra Wake: Programs Manager for Journalism, RMIT University
Professor Matthew Ricketson: Professor of Communication, Deakin University
Gina Mammone: Senior Manager, Peer and Pastoral Care, Ambulance Victoria
Alexandra Mitchell: Trauma Programs Manager at Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
Interpreter:
Rachel Lee
Administrative Assistance:
Lisa Rowe: Executive Assistant and Company Secretary, Dart Centre Asia Pacific
Yeonjae Lee: Korea Broadcasting Journalist Association
Chan-Seung Chung, MD, PhD, Psychiatrist
Chan-Seung Chung is a psychiatrist of South Korea and an internationally certified Jungian psychoanalyst. His dedication to the public health response to COVID-19, mental health advocacy for journalists, efforts in trauma recovery post the Seoul Halloween crowd crush, and support for the mental well-being of migrants and refugees garnered him a prestigious commendation from the South Korean Minister of Health and Welfare in 2023.
