"If you have asked someone to cover a story for you, you have a legal and ethical duty of care to that person. The legal aspects may vary between jurisdictions, but increasingly courts are considering these issues and in at least one case (in Australia) have ruled against the news organization, in a case related to an employee. While the impact of these legal actions may not flow to all jurisdictions and to the freelance relationship, no news organization can assume that their responsibilities for responding to trauma as it affects their staff, including freelancers, are minimal. It is no longer possible for news organizations to ignore the evidence about the potential impact of covering trauma as a news gatherer. As a manager, you need to understand, manage and respond to these risks before, during and after the freelancer works on the assignment. This guide is designed to help you understand and support your team. It is divided into five sections covering both general information and specific suggestions and tips for working with freelancers." (Page 4)
Understanding trauma and journalism, 5
Trauma and the freelancer, 8
Support before the assignment, 9
Support during the assignment, 10
Support after the assignment, 11
Myth-busting, 12
Self-care for editors and managers, 13
Appendix: Psychological risk assessment + tip sheets, 15