OSLO – The Trauma-Sensitive Reporting Field Guide, released by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma, a project of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, is the first comprehensive resource dedicated to trauma-sensitive reporting within the humanitarian sector. Uniquely tailored to the needs and ethical considerations of humanitarian communicators, journalists, and documentary filmmakers, the guide addresses the challenges of reporting in crisis and conflict settings.
The project was initiated by Daniel Benjamin Wheeler, a journalist and filmmaker with extensive experience reporting from trauma-affected communities. Wheeler brought together the NRC and the Dart Centre to address the growing need for ethical reporting practices in humanitarian settings and served as a key adviser throughout the guide’s development.
The guide draws on established principles from journalism, mental health, and protection work to offer clear, actionable guidance for interviewing survivors of conflict and disaster, handling sensitive content, and navigating the ethical challenges that arise in high-risk environments. It is intended to support frontline media and communications professionals in producing effective and ethically responsible coverage in some of the world’s most challenging environments.
