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Should journalists convey emotion when covering crisis events?

In the aftermath of the recent earthquake in China, many radio reports coming out of Sichuan province featured journalists who were outwardly distraught and emotional; National Public Radio reporters Robert Siegel and Melissa Block, from the U.S., admitted they got “choked up” and even cried on air, which they said made their coverage of the devastation more real.

While many listeners appreciate hearing journalists’ sentiment, others hold that emotional outpouring does not belong in journalism, and that journalists should remain objective, even during tragic crises or disasters.   

What do you think? Is there room in journalism for reporters to express emotion and personal experiences when covering crisis events? Does this journalistic style enhance news coverage? 

IJNet would like to hear you opinion.  We invite you to answer these questions or add some of your own.  Join the discussion by clicking on “Add a Comment” below.  Please identify your country if possible.  Thanks for you participation.   

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Journalists sho

Journalists should get all the facts they need to put their story together. No need to show emotions when writing a story. But they should at least show emotions of those involved in the tragedy or loss. At the end of the day, the story must be told and get people to say the words. But it differs to one where we write Opinion pieces and coloums, here you can say whatever you like. Your experience of nearly being killed by this ugly man who put a knife on your throat.

The job of jour

The job of journalist is to make report on fact and finding instead of sentiments or emotion. emotional feeling on reporting would damage the fact and finding. So, there is not need to debate whether journalist need to sentiment or fact based on reporting.

Journalists sho

Journalists should not express emotions, while covering unfolding events , which ever the circumstances period. Kenya.

expressing emot

expressing emotions in front of a camera is the easiest way to make the viewers emotional too. selection of facts and skillful use of the tools of the trade can make much more impression than a tear shed on tv.

if you want to show that the war in iraq generates human tragedy you don't have to state that or cry out of fear, just calmly and objectively tell the story of a family and the viewers will be moved.

as far as i know - all great reports of the most talented journalists generate a lot of emotion without the reporter being emotional.

this skill, in my opinion, makes the difference between a talented journalist and the others.

As long as the

As long as the journalist tell a story as it happend, there is no harm in writng the story with more human emotions. I am put off by articles, and reports that are filled with statistics, facts, figures and "acutalities", but uttlerly missing the human factor.

We are human and thus, emotional. A good journalist manages to use is while telling the story with all its sides.

Ever challening task!:)

s

Since journalis

Since journalists are human beings in the first place, there is no way they can completely banish their emotion from the story. In Nigeria where I practise, I have had to shed tears while writing my stories because of the depth of the grave human tragedies that have befallen fellow compatriots. For instance, we are so very often afflicted by the tragedy of pipeline fire, ostensibly because of the pervasive poverty plaquing the land. And you juxtapose this with the stupendous wealth of a handful of politicians and military adventurists. No matter, even a worm will swirl. So, that is the situation. But honestly to me, that will not take objectivity out of my stories, rather, it will allow it to run through it. As journalists that mirrors the socio-political milieu in which we opertae, we must strive to balance our stories, do research, check and cross check facts so that readers are not fed with half-truths. Like half education, half truths are dangerous!

Covering natu

Covering natural disasters and humanitarian catastrophe are tricky reportage... Journalists covering such events mostly, if not entirely, hail from the disaster zones... Striking a balance between what you see and what you cover, keeping writer's own personality and emotions aside, is what readers expect to read about the actual happenings... Majority of readers expect the writer to be fair, accurate... When writer's individuality or his personal emotions get in the way, it often blurs the effect of the report... In journalistic ethics also, reporters and writers fare well when they are able to keep their emotions at bay... They are not supposed to sensationlize happenings and events... But being human beings, seeing human beings in catastrophes take a big heart and strong nerves not to be moved... it is human... but professionalism demands that emotions must not and should not come in the way to depict a true situation...

M of d view tha

M of d view that a journalist shoud not be carried away with developments. Though it wud impact their functioning, we have to be unbiased in reporting various events/developments. Hence, there is no place for conveying emotions/personal feelings in our coverage of crisis events. But still to some extent our feelings get reflected in our reports.

Journalists nee

Journalists needs to remain objective despite the emotive aspect of a news story but that does not mean that they get inhuman like the photographer who snapped a skinny child dying on the sand (remember the award-winning picture?). When describing, announcing, discussing or otherwise reporting a news, they must not get t swayed by personal, political, religious or communal bias.

When we talk of

When we talk of journalism ethics, it also demands reporting in fair manner and hence there is no room left for a journalist to covey emotions in a report. While covering crisis events the journalists needs to be "sensitive" and "not emotional". After the crisis reporting is over there will be ample opportunity to express emotions in blog, feature stories, memoirs etc.

Gaurav Shrivastava Times Now Tv. New Delhi, India

Sometimes peopl

Sometimes people forget that journalists are human too. I think it's important to report the facts, but I also don't see anything wrong w/adding that human element in a different forum i.e. write the story, but blog on the newspaper's Web site about the experience. Separate fact from feeling. It doesn't always work that way, though, especially in disaster zones, but it's a good place to start. It all boils down to circumstance. Is it OK to cry in the wake of devastating floods? It might be. Is it OK to whoop when your presidential candidate wins? Nope.

It is the duty

It is the duty of a journalist to report an event or mishap/happening honestly, ethically , carefully and accurately. There should ideally be no room for emotions(personal). Do emotions enhance reporting? Am not sure. They could sensationalise an issue instead of being honest reporting. Even a small imbalance in emotions can change the mood of the reporting and trigger off wrong emotions in viewers/readers. That's my view.

Greetings from

Greetings from Bamenda,Cameroon.

I am sure that this a very crucial question.To my modest opinion,there might not be any fast rule to the issue of expressing emotions during coverage.Despite our training,nature has no school yet. It could be like saying that since the Soldier is well trained in the skills of battle,he can be trained to not scream when a bullet enters his spine. Regards.

Facts, properly

Facts, properly conveyed, are more powerful than a reporter's feelings. They leave the emotion to the mind of the reader. The proper role of the journalist is not to impose a chill on the facts, or a sentiment on the audience, but to understand how events can best be recounted, and then to get out of the way. That doesn't mean that the journalist does not feel, but that their emotion does not masquerade as the news. The more emotion is allowed in reportage, the more it will become de rigueur, and therefore false.

This is such a

This is such a tricky question. Obviously there isn't a "One size fits all" solution. I think much of this depends on the situation. I think that part of the problem is that there is a difference from TV journalism and print journalism. I would think that TV Journalism requires a certain level of emotional connection to the story. No one can stand there like a statue on camera and rattle off fact after fact. You'll come off as cold or snobby. Or you may look like a monkey reading a teleprompter. I think there is more wiggle room in print journalism for emotion. If you feel strongly about an issue and it is difficult to separate your personal feelings and experiences from the article, it's okay. You can take a sort of editorial angle and still make it work. So, I guess my point is that it depends. I think it is nearly impossible to leave emotion out of the news, but it is not wise to inject your every feeling and personal story into a news piece. Make sure the story is actually about the story, not you. Leave yourself out of a story as much as possible, and then if you need to, add in that emotional connection that can make a story memorable.

I am a jo

I am a journalist from cameroon and have been in this business for twenty three years. When it comes to reporting news per se, I huumbly suggest and think that emotions and emotional reporting is not in the ambit of journalism. News reporting is reality and you cannot give me reality as it is if you are so emotionally charged . I may end up having a wrong impression of what transpired and or may not even catch the facts if I am also emtionaaly weak and is carried away by your emtions. A good reporter must contain his/her emotions and let me see the events as if I were there and not put me through a sorrow exercise.We are human but what makes us different from others is the simple fact that we are journalists, bound to see and report on all kinds of things in spite of our emotions and or whatever. Thanks a million.

It should be re

It should be realised that in many cases firstly a journalist is a part of the community which they are covering and are not immune from the events that affect it. I think also, that during a disaster or emergency, emotion rather than sterility (an emotionless reading of events) is required to convey to the audience the magnitude and seriousness of events and to be able to empathise with those caught up in it. That does need to be tempered by being able to report factually though, at times a difficult balance.

Best Regards,

Greg

How should sp

How should sports reporters react when covering a football match or whatever meetings, specially when their countries or favourite teams are involved? Should arts journalists be emotional when they are reporting a live concert or show, if their fave stars are performing? I firmly believe that in these cases it is our duty to be objectives. Can we control our emotion whenever it concerns natural catastrophies, wars, conflicts, … where human beings are victims? I don't think so! But in my opinion, we have to. The question is how to behave on the moment, with regard to the victims and then with regard to those we are adressing.

الصحفي ا

الصحفي اولا واخيرا هو انسان يحمل من المشاعر مايحمل غيره من الناس . كل انسان لديه حدود يمكن ان يتحمل بها المؤثرات الحياتية عليه شخصيا او على عمله ولا ضير في ان يظهر الصحفي بعض من مشاعره وخاصة الانسانية تجاه موقف صعب او مؤثر يتخطة حدود الحيادية التي يجب ان يتمتع بها الصحفي . انا اعتقد ان هذه الامور لاتتكرر دائما . الانسانية شيء جميل وسامي ومن يتحلى بالانسانية في اي وقت وفي اي مكان نادر في هذا الزمان . ياسين الربيعي مدير اخبار راديو دجلة

Any journalist

Any journalist worth their salt should have a good balance of empathy and sympathy. As human beings is it natural to be emotional. The secret is managing those emotions at the same time covering the story professionally, ethically and effectively.

Journalists are ever in the line of disasters, tragedies and crises of every shape and size but there is need to manage our emotions and avoid the outpouring of grief which could colour their coverage and judgement, especially in situations that affected them personally, for example, in political violence. I believe journalists covering a crisis should display empathy more than sympathy because I am not convinced that emotional outburst sells the story better than the journalist's detail on the story and angle does.

Busani Bafana Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

one thing we sh

one thing we should remember is that journalists are human not robots. They have the right to be happy and sad, which is natural. You can not control it or else the report will not have the impact it deserves.

I think there i

I think there is a level of emotion that comes naturally. One have to learn to control it, so that it does not interfere with our main role. What is not correc t is pretending to be very touched by what you are reporting.

Amâncio Miguel, Mozambique

I'm a journalis

I'm a journalist as well as medical doctor. But I cannot controll my feeling for victims in Nargis. Especially the Irrawaddy Division is my native land. Now also I've got some stress for my land and victims. So I've participated in volunteering in supplying aids and caring their illness on field. I've been most of the areas cyclone-hit. I have to share my efforts for them long-term. Then I already have writen many articles about them concerning post traumatic stress disorder. Sincerely, Dr.Oo

A journalist's

A journalist's profession is more or less common to the profession of a doctor who cures the ailments of his or her body without any emotions and if the doctor gets emotional with his or her patient, the patient is going to be at the loosing side of his or her health. While the doctor takes care of his patient without being emotional because his soul duty is to cure the patient, the same duty is of the journalist to cure the ailments of the society but without being emotional. Emotional persons tend to loose control and generally the stoties produced or written by them can become somewhat biased. The more the journalist would refrain himself from being emotional, the more good and justice he would be able to do to his or her job.

Kuldeep Singh News Editor Sky Hawk Times, Daily Evening SCF-52, Phase-IIIB2, Mohali - cell 098726-30705

Being a journal

Being a journalist is as the same as being public's ear, mouth and eye. When we see the news that touching our heart, we can't hold our emotion occurs in sudden. But, whatever, this is the differencies between journalist and non journalist. Objectively, we have to convey the news factually and straightly. it, can't be done well if our emotions can't be controlled wheter reporting the news. But, it doesn't mean that journalists don't have emphaty... Anyway, journalists are also human, isn't it? You can show your emotion as an ordinary people outside the work... That's what I think. Thanks. Rina Suci from Indonesia.

While emotions

While emotions can be hard to check, the job of a journalist is to present the news as a factual objective accounting of events and people. Emotions can play a roll in telling the story, but they should be the emotions of others directly involved in the event, not those of the writer.

It is most certainly not easy, as I witnessed first hand when conducting an interview with subject of an expose I was writing and I allowed the subject get under my skin during his attacks on my credibility as a reporter. We ended up both going off on each other which accomplished nothing a blew an important and objective piece of my article.

We can stop the

We can stop the emotion aspect when reporting crisis and tragedies when we stop being human. It just shows journalists are human with the ability to cry, feel sad and shout for joy. That's reality. I was TV anchor when the Tsunami Aitape occured in Papua New Guinea in 1998. I showed emotion but it was not like i planned to. It just showed and to my surprise people walked up to me to shake my hand and said one of two things - "you're only human" or "that must have been difficult." They were absolutely right! We are human after all - it just shows we have hearts, robots don't.

Personally i do

Personally i donn't think there is anything wrong in putting emotion in a story. It all depends on how you put it and what you are writing

Absolutely! Jus

Absolutely! Just make sure it is clearly labeled as opinion. The most powerful writing I've every done - or read - has involved being personally involved in capturing personal pain, conflict, or emotional drama. I walked into the riots in Rochester, N.Y. 'way back in the 60s. Thousands of words had been written to report on the damage, the grief, the pain, the anger of those riots. But I described what it was like to be inside the hell that had been created. It worked. When I returned from Africa and visited New York's World Trade Center catastrophy three months after it occurred, I needed to write about the emotional roller-coaster of walking into the hole in the heart of the city, detailing the impact on me of reading the loving notes from all over the world, of letters from children to their missing dads, of coming upon the mini-memorial to the hundreds of dead policemen and firefighters. Three months after the event, the only way to capture something "new" was to make it personal. It worked. I've never received as much positive feedback to anything I have written.

Having been in

Having been in the news business off and on for 35 years, I strongly believe there is no place in our profession for journalists to insert themselves into a story they're covering. It should be our aim to inform the public, not tug at their heart strings. If the story is compelling and worth covering, the facts will speak for themselves. Otherwise, we continue present-day journalism's downward spiral into entertainment.

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