The Bummer Beat

Get a group of reporters together and inevitably the talk turns to "Covering the Bummer Beat." Natural disasters, plane crashes, missing children, accidents, murders. It's about death and destruction, weeping survivors, and the demand - on deadline - for poignant quotes and sound bites and vivid descriptions. Even though this reporting about life's painful side is an essential part of journalism, reporters agonize over it. It's the classic ethical dilemma of balancing truthtelling with minimizing harm to vulnerable people.

In this series of articles we explore the "bummer beat." You will meet courageous reporters and those who have confessions to make. We offer guidance, case studies and checklists. Our aim is to provoke thought and discussion and offer help to those journalists whose next story may put them on the doorstep of a grieving parent, at the scene of a horrific accident or amidst the pack behind the yellow crime scene tape.

1. Journalists and Tragedy
2. "Was I Wrong?" A Reporter's Reflections on the Death Beat
3. "The Bummer Beat: TV Reporting on Tragedy and Victims"
4. Covering Victims: A Case Study
5. Handle with Care: The Victim's Perspective
6. Reporting on Victims: Professional Advice
7. How to Hold a Workshop on Victim Coverage
8. Journalists and Trauma: Secondary Victims