Trauma-informed reporting considers how trauma impacts the brain and takes that into consideration when interacting with sources to prioritize safety, transparency and informed consent. Reporters should treat survivors of trauma with dignity and give them the chance to tell their story on their terms. The goal is to report the story accurately without causing any further harm, according to the Global Center for Journalism and Trauma (formerly the DART Center).
To conduct a trauma-informed interview, you should prioritize getting the source’s informed consent and giving them as much control as possible. Journalists must make an effort to understand the basics of how a source’s trauma may affect them, and take that into consideration to avoid retraumatization. Journalists must understand they are speaking to a person, and the most important thing is to do no harm, per the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics.
Select a section below to explore each topic:
Make your source as comfortable as possible.
From the perspective of your source, you have all of the power in this scenario. Do what you can to give your source agency in the situation. Meet them halfway. See if there is somewhere they are most comfortable. Watch for signs of discomfort throughout the interview and offer breaks.
Start your interview off the record. Talking with a journalist can be intimidating, so show them you’re a human first. Share something funny your child did that morning or talk about a recent sporting event, for example. Find a point of connection, then begin shifting into the subject of the interview while still off the record. Have a brief conversation about what you’d like to talk about, and gauge if they are still comfortable with continuing. Give a clear and thorough explanation of what you will and will not be using. If you explain on and off the record, and your source still does not understand, try being more direct. Try telling them to just say when they do and don’t want something they said to be used.
Set boundaries for both of you.
In some cases, people who have experienced trauma may not have a full idea of how an ethical journalist is supposed to act. Walk them through what will be happening and why. Make sure they understand what you’re trying to do, and that this interview might not change a thing.
Consent is irrelevant if your source doesn’t know what they’re consenting to. To be sure, explain every step of the process. Will they be quoted, recorded, filmed? Will their name appear, their career or other details? Today’s news stories live forever, “The Routledge Companion to Journalism Ethics” says. Ensure they understand and are comfortable with stopping at any time.
You should be friendly and your source should feel comfortable with you, but you cannot be a therapist for them. If the situation arises that your source begins diving into deep trauma, have some therapists you recommend on hand. Politely interject, recognize that you hear and feel for them, but that you can’t offer the same support as a mental health professional. Lead with empathy. You don’t have to respond immediately. If you feel concerned for a source or something they mentioned that you did not react to at the time, ask a mental health professional for advice on how to respond, Debra Kamin of The New York Times advised at the 2026 Investigative Reporters and Editors conference.
Consider the added weight of race and immigration status.
For marginalized people, there is a high risk and low reward when talking to journalists, the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Journalism Ethics says. Historically, journalists are parachuting in, getting the sensational quotes they came for and leaving. This leads to the marginalized communities they want to cover no longer trusting them, according to Poynter. Show your source you care about them as a person by listening and following up.
Respect the legal, emotional and economic vulnerability of immigrant sources, Denise Ziya Berte, executive director of the Peaceful Families Project, said at a Global Center for Journalism and Trauma workshop in 2014. Ensure both you and your source are aware of any potential ramifications the published story can cause. Be aware many immigrants have already suffered trauma in their home country and on their journey here. Be patient and understanding.
Be aware when using translators and other accommodations.
If you’re interviewing someone with a language barrier, be aware of the impact your translator can have. For example, if you’re interviewing a woman who has been the victim of violence by a man, see if you can request a woman translator. Avoid using summaries from your translator. Ask for all quotes in first person to get detail and context, journalist Michael Matza advised in a 2014 Global Center for Journalism and Trauma workshop.
Allow for multiple interviews.
Give yourself more time than you think you need, as you never want to rush your source. Let them go at their own pace. If you’re asking about a specific event, try asking them to tell you about that day. Allow your source to guide where the interview goes by offering open-ended questions.
Take extra care if you must interview children.
Children may need extra preparation before you begin the interview, experts at Stanford say. Offer them some coping skills like deep breathing or allow them to color or draw while you talk. Explain everything simply, and check in to make sure they understand. Empower them — make sure they know that they have the power to take breaks or end the interview at any point. Let them make decisions, no matter how small, like where or whether they want to sit. When the interview is over, make sure they have someone to talk to as they process the emotions and trauma that may have been brought back up.
Obtain guardian consent before interviewing teens or children, Ruth Teichroeb of the Global Center for Journalism and Trauma advises. But you must use your own judgement of when an interview might do more harm than good for the child, even if you have parental consent. Columbia Journalism Review advises allowing a parent, counselor or friend to be present if it would make your interviewee more comfortable.
Journalists are not mandated reporters, but according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, any person who suspects child abuse is required to report it in approximately 18 states and Puerto Rico.
Take a break between finishing the interview and beginning to write to give yourself time to process. Put yourself in a safe and quiet space to take it all in and gain a better understanding of how you should convey your source’s story.
Don’t cut off contact when the interview ends.
Your source has relived their trauma for what may have been the first time. Do not cut them off as soon as you get what you needed from them. You may be the first person to ever listen to their story and now are a perceived safe person for them to talk to. That being said, maintain boundaries. If a source is messaging you at inopportune times, respond only during working hours. If a source is sending alarming messages or trauma-dumping, it’s not fair to either of you if you act as a therapist. Inform them you are not the right person to talk to at that moment, have some numbers for therapists and immediate crisis lines you recommend, and politely share that with the source. See “Keep your source updated” for advice on how to professionally stay in contact.
With a traumatized source, informing them of the content before it’s published can be beneficial, though some newsrooms may have policies that forbid this. All newsrooms are different — always check with your editors if you’re unsure. In some cases, the source may tack onto what they said, offering information you wouldn’t have had before. Or, if they feel misrepresented, you can work with them to get a better understanding of what they were trying to convey.
During the editing process, inform your editor of any important context, and work with them as much as they allow. Push back on cuts or unfair language to avoid setting a false narrative or victim-blaming.
Keep your source updated.
Editing and fact checking can be a long process, and your source can get nervous if they don’t hear anything from you. They may start overthinking what they said and panic, or assume the article has been scrapped and give their story to a different news organization. Consider sending a quick update text or email once a week, experts speaking at the 2026 IRE Conference recommend. This could be as simple as, “Hello, I hope you’re well. The story is still being edited.”
Be empathic during the fact-checking process.
If your source isn’t familiar with the journalistic process, they may feel insulted you need to fact check them. Do not assume they understand this is commonplace — explain that to them.
Monitor yourself for signs of burnout, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. It’s normal to feel a range of negative emotions when covering trauma, but symptoms become concerning when they interfere with work, disrupt relationships or cause distress, according to researcher Anthony Feinstein.
Vicarious trauma is defined by the American Counseling Association as “the emotional residue of exposure to traumatic stories and experiences of others through work; witnessing fear, pain and terror that others have experienced.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines burnout as an “occupational phenomenon,” not a medical condition. Vicarious trauma is more severe and can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD symptoms. Those with prior trauma are more at risk. Vicarious trauma can present as burnout, depression and/or anxiety. Don’t wait until you’re overwhelmed to set up a support system, healthcare educators at Stanford advise.
Take care of yourself.
When you’re covering people’s trauma, you need to be aware of how it is affecting you. Whether you feel it immediately or if your response is delayed, there are steps you can take to prevent vicarious trauma.
Begin with your physical health: prioritize getting enough sleep, eating healthy, staying hydrated and exercising. For your mental health, experts recommend seeing a therapist. Know your limits. Because of your own experiences, there may be some stories you can never safely cover. Discuss this with your editor and support system as needed. See also: Informing mental health supports for journalists with trauma-related disorders.
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- The Journalist Trauma Support Network offers links to a variety of resources for self-help and journalists seeking therapy.
- The Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma offers a wide list of resources on topics like vicarious trauma, trauma-informed journalism and more.
- Stanford Digital Medic offers a free toolkit of resources and videos for professionals interviewing children and teens with trauma. The course is targeted toward lawyers but is helpful to journalists.
- Jennifer Cain, Ph.D., published “Best Practice Guidelines for Reporting Child Trauma and Crimes Against Children.”
- The Vicarious Trauma Toolkit, by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, offers tools and videos to learn about and address vicarious trauma.
- The DART Center for Journalism and Trauma published a guide to covering children and trauma.
Conclusions are drawn from a variety of readings and public statements from journalists, lawyers, psychologists and researchers. I decided what to include in this guide based on what’s been published in previous guides, and what hasn’t but should be. For example, information on interviewing children is collected from Stanford’s resources for attorneys but lends itself well to journalists.
