The Challenge
Now, more than ever, trauma journalism needs support.
Dwindling print readership and print advertising sales,
as well as the recession and other economic realities, have forced many news organizations to close bureaus, lay off staffers and scale back funding for training.
Social media has exposed journalists to harassment and threats
by those who believe journalists are biased.
More freelance journalists are traveling to unsafe locations
without the support or oversight of established news publications or agencies.
The rise of the 21st century conflicts and terrorism
has made journalists targets for terrorist groups such as ISIS.
Journalists run toward danger and conflict so they can tell others what is happening,
and they often ignore how covering such stories can affect them and their families.
Our Response
Now a 501(c)(3) public charity, the Trust was first established as a project of the Cornerstone Foundation in 2015, through the philanthropic vision of Cornerstone managing director, Richard McLellan, and psychiatrist Frank Ochberg, M.D., a pioneer in PTSD treatment, trauma science and forensic psychiatry, to address the needs of trauma journalists. Your donation supports:
Existing service organizations
so they can reach more journalists in war zones, suffering urban centers and other areas of high need.
Collaboration among organizations in training trauma journalists
inspiring self-help and peer support, and establishing networks of colleagues.
Multi-year support
to bolster organizational capacity and to give organizations time to achieve their strategic goals, establish measurable program effectiveness, and leverage support from others.
Evaluation of our work
measuring changes in journalists’ morale, confidence, trauma knowledge and vicarious traumatization.