The Samoan journalists who covered the tsunami disaster are undergoing a trauma debriefing session this week to assist in dealing with the impacts of reporting such a wide-scale disaster. The sessions are being conducted in Samoa by the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma, at the request of the Journalists’ Association of  Samoa (JAWS) and the International Federation of Journalists for Asia and the Pacific.

JAWS Secretary Cherelle Jackson said “It was hard to report without being affected by what had happened, as nothing could prepare any journalist to cover such a tragic event without being personally affected and reduced to tears on the spot.”

The trauma-support program will be conducted in Samoa’s newsrooms by Dart Australasia’s managing director Cait McMahon and New Zealand veteran war and disaster correspondent Jon Stephenson.

The Asia-Pacific director of the International Federation of Journalists, Jacqueline Park has praised the courage and commitment of their Samoan colleagues for their professionalism and integrity in reporting under such extreme and personally affecting circumstances.

FetuFM lost one its colleagues, on-air Presenter Peter Letiu who was a volunteer fire fighter – and killed in the line of duty – shortly after the tsunami had caused wide spread devastation. FetuFM also provided live reports of the devastation from the worst affected areas shortly after the disaster struck.

Written by Lance Polu, on 19-10-2009 22:16

Source: Talamua

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