"Journalists face unusual challenges when covering violent or mass tragedies. They face the possibility of being a first responder to a violent event. They interact with victims dealing with extraordinary grief. Journalists who cover any “blood-and-guts” beat often build a needed and appropriate professional wall between themselves and the survivors and other witnesses they interview. But after reporters talk with people who have suffered great loss, the same wall may impede the need of journalists to react to their own exposure to tragedy. Al Tompkins of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies wrote the following for Poynter.org on Sept. 15, 2001: “Reporters, photojournalists, engineers, soundmen and field producers often work elbow to elbow with emergency workers. Journalists’ symptoms of traumatic stress are remarkably similar to those of police officers and firefighters who work in the immediate aftermath of tragedy, yet journalists typically receive little support after they file their stories. While public-safety workers are offered debriefings and counseling after a trauma, journalists are merely assigned another story.” In the future, we know that we’ll face more tragedies — more dates that will leave lasting memories for victims, communities and ourselves. The practical tips in this booklet can help you become more effective in handling these vital areas." (Page 3)