Open AccessCovering Pulse: Understanding the Lived Experience of Journalists Who Covered a Mass Shooting
Author(s) -
Theodore G. Petersen,
Shyla Soundararajan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the qualitative report
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2160-3715
DOI - 10.46743/2160-3715/2020.4018
Subject(s) - variety (cybernetics) , media studies , lived experience , sociology , mass media , advertising , psychology , political science , law , psychoanalysis , business , computer science , artificial intelligence
When 49 people were gunned down in an Orlando nightclub in 2016, journalists from all over Central Florida went toward the nightclub, not away from it. This study explores the lived experience of 18 journalists who covered the Pulse nightclub shooting. Participants came from a variety of news outlets—print, television, and radio—and from a variety of positions—reporters, photographers, and editors. Participants described the chaotic environment and the ethical issues they faced. This paper sheds light on how journalists handle situations like the Pulse shooting and the need to monitor the mental health of those who were on the frontlines covering it.