Anguish of story can haunt journalists
Dr. Ochberg first locked onto the topic in hopes that the act of journalism could help rather than intensify the feelings of calamity victims. Measuring the effects on reporters and photographers initially seemed like an afterthought to him.
"Journalists can experience powerful frustration and demoralization," said Dr. Ochberg, "especially when they go literally to the ends of the earth and subject themselves to physical and emotional risk. And they realize that their job is to bring back information that only falls on deaf ears. All their work might just end up in flaming passion and no solution."
Great story that includes a video about what happens to our peers who covered disasters or who witnessed disasters. (And I can relate to this issue. I worked on search and rescue in Mexico City following the 1985 earthquake. One never forgets seeing the smell of rotting human flesh. Or the emotions of the day.)