What are the ethics of reporting on a mass shooting?
In the wake of the mass shooting at the Umpqua Community College campus in Roseburg, Oregon on Oct. 1, the University of Oregon-UNESCO Crossings Institute hosted a two-part panel forum with those who reported on the event. The forum took place in UO’s Allen Hall.
This episode of Crossings Radio, the first of two parts, focuses on a gathering that took place a few weeks following the tragedy at the Umpqua Community College; the discussion pulls apart this question in the context of conflict-sensitive reporting and intercultural dialogue.
In this episode we hear from UO student Joseph Hoyt, who worked as a stringer for the Washington Post while in Roseburg; journalists Troy Brynelson and Ian Campbell, UO alumni and reporters from Roseburg’s News-Review; and UO journalism professor Sung Park, whose photojournalism career has frequently propelled him into situations documenting on devastating events.
The panelists recount Oct. 1 and the following days, as well as how to mentally prepare for this form of reporting, and the practical ethics of approaching sources in distress.
This is part one of a two-part series. Click here for part two.
