‘If you need to cry, cry.’ 6 education reporters’ advice on covering school shootings

Practical tips from current and former education reporters to help those who are covering the Uvalde school shooting 

By Alexander Russo

Be prepared for anger – and tears.

Question official narratives.

Go to meetings.

Take ‘no’ for an answer.

Take breaks.

And be prepared for some extremely difficult moments.

“It was awful,” said one education journalist who covered Newtown (Sandy Hook) in person but does not have newsroom permission to speak on the record about the experience.

“The scene at the school as parents waited for kids was unforgettable,” says this reporter. But “worst was visiting houses that night to attempt to talk to the families of victims.”

The scene at the school as parents waited for kids was unforgettable. Worst was visiting houses that night to attempt to talk to the families of victims. – Anonymous reporter

In the aftermath of the awful events in Uvalde, Texas, current and former education reporters share a mix of practical and personal advice for their colleagues about what to do and how to do it when you’re covering a school shooting.

Thanks to Tawnell Hobbs, Scott Travis, David DesRoches, Lily Altavena, and Krista Torralva for sharing their tips, strategies, and wisdom — and to the reporters who are out there now doing this extremely difficult work.

Update: Thanks to Lee Romney for contributing additional insights about her work covering trauma situation. 

BE READY FOR ANGER AND TEARS

Be ready to be met with anger just for being a member of the media. That happened to me covering the Santa Fe school shooting in Texas. Don’t engage. Emotions are running high. – Tawnell Hobbs (WSJ)

DON”T SPECULATE

Stick to the basics. Report what you know and be transparent about what you do not know. Own mistakes and correct them immediately with time stamps. – David DesRoches (former CT Public Radio)

DON’T ASSUME TRAUMA

Ask children what they want to share about what happened that day. Let them bring the information on their own terms. And, don’t assume that these young survivors will break. I think that was such an important lesson we shared in the piece I wrote. Resilience is as important as trauma. — Lee Romney (freelance)

SPELL IT RIGHT

I’ve seen some misspellings of Latino names. Actually, one Texas paper’s online homepage had Uvalde misspelled this afternoon in big bold letters. So I’d urge everyone to check and triple check the spellings of Spanish names. – Krista M. Torralva (Dallas Morning News)

 

Be ready to be met with anger just for being a member of the media. – Hobbs

 

 

 

 

 

 

AVOID OVERSIMPLIFICATION

Not all gun owners are anti-gun control. Seek out the complexities that highlight nuance and help us have better, more thoughtful conversations with each other about this debilitating societal disease. – David DesRoches

FIND THE FAMILY SPOKESPERSON & LEAVE A NOTE

If a family member doesn’t want to talk, find out if there is a family spokesperson who could speak. Sometimes that thought doesn’t occur to families until it’s mentioned. Also, I have covered a good share of school shootings and have found that leaving a note of condolence with your contact information goes a long way when the family is ready to talk. – Tawnell Hobbs

Be skeptical of everything government officials tell you. – Travis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUESTION OFFICIAL STATEMENTS

Be skeptical of everything government officials tell you. I read today that the governor or mayor said the killer had no discipline issues and gave no warning signs until a few minutes before. If that’s true, it will be a huge anomaly. I would try to independently confirm or debunk any claim where they try to sound like they did nothing wrong. – Scott Travis (Sun Sentinel)

WAIT AND WATCH

I often lag in the background and approach people who I feel might be open to talking. You really have to take the temperature of the room. The last thing you want to do is upset people in grief. – Tawnell Hobbs

BUILD ALLIANCES WITH PARENTS

Be an ally to people who are being stonewalled for information, particularly victims. We became close with many parents because we had something in common. We all wanted information and we were being stonewalled by the school district… People appreciate you searching for answers to questions they have, and they will often be appreciative and help you out in the future. – Scott Travis

GO SLOW

(To editors) Don’t push reporters so hard to “break news” or to “be first” on a big story like a mass school shooting. Trust they are doing the best they can. That extra pressure can result in the reporter being disrespectful to grieving family members in a haste to get anything. – Tawnell Hobbs

Make sure you listen to your gut when it comes to horrific details. – Altavena

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LISTEN TO YOUR GUT

Make sure you listen to your gut when it comes to horrific details. Other outlets might be publishing them, but that doesn’t mean you need to, if there’s something telling you not to. Have that debate with your editors. That kind of debate is good for a newsroom, it strengthens a newsroom. – Lily Altavena (Detroit Free Press)

FIND AND ATTEND EVENTS

I paid $10 to join the Marjory Stoneman Douglas PTA so I could attend those meetings which I was told were only open to members. Some meetings are public but may be hidden in the newspaper legal ads. –  Scott Travis

REMEMBER THAT NEIGHBORS ARE PEOPLE TOO

Be mindful of neighbors of the victims and the shooter. They have had umpteen reporters knock on their door and trample their flower beds to get comment. Some just are tired of talking or don’t want to. In small towns, they often know the victims and are also grieving. – Tawnell Hobbs

MAKE LOTS OF RECORDS REQUESTS

Police reports from the school, discipline records, maps of the school. 911 calls, outside surveillance video to see police response (we didn’t ask for video from inside the school). Emails from school staff with keywords like shooting, tragedy and the killer’s name. Emails from the deceased. Get a list of teachers and staff at the school and contact them. Some will be great sources. Request it even if you think they’ll turn you down. – Scott Travis

If you need to cry, cry. If you need to vent, vent safely. – DesRoches

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

Consider secondary trauma seriously and take steps to address it. This means monitoring your mood and reactions to situations because the personal impact of what you’re reporting on may not be immediately apparent to you. Talk to family or colleagues about what you’re feeling and consider therapy. Reading on trauma is also helpful in my experience. – Anonymous education reporter

You will work non-stop for what will feel like a long time, and it may not hit you until you slow down. Therapy is so important. – Lily Altavena

If you need to cry, cry. If you need to vent, vent safely. Write furiously then throw it away, or publish it. – David DesRoches

Previously from The Grade:

How education reporters stay safe

School shootings, gun violence, & student trauma coverage