Mosese Raqio 
[File Photo]
Psychologist Elenoa Lesuma is calling for local journalists to adopt “trauma-informed” reporting when covering crime or death, warning that careless coverage can cause further harm.
Speaking on FBC TV’s Your Voice, Lesuma emphasized that reporters must understand the nature of trauma to protect their sources, their audience, and themselves.
Lesuma stresses that how news is framed and shared can re-trigger trauma, and reporters have an ethical duty to ensure their work does not deepen suffering or create new harm, despite pressure to break news quickly.
“So, as practitioners, as journalists, you have an ethical duty to ensure that you try and do no further harm to not only your source, but also you as a journalist, and to create the awareness around your population, your viewers, and your readers.”
Meanwhile, Fijian Broadcasting Corporation General Manager for News Felix Chaudhary says newsroom support is critical, particularly when journalists face harassment, threats, or violence while doing their jobs.
“In the past, there have been many cases of journalists being harassed, threatened, beaten because they chose to ask hard questions and that is the job of every journalist that goes out there is to ask those questions and the repercussions may not be what the journalist is expecting.”
Chaudhary says journalists must know they have the full backing of their newsroom and access to counselling and support, noting that strong leadership and open discussions are key to helping reporters cope with traumatic assignments while continuing to ask tough questions in the public interest.
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