Journalism and mental health: When journalists are among first responders

When horrific incidents happen in our communities, journalists are among the first responders. They do not run away from the scene; they run towards it so audiences can get a clear picture and accurate information about what happened. Remember when suicide bombers carried out twin attacks near Kampala’s Central Police Station and Parliament in Uganda on Tuesday, November 16, 2021? Uganda Police reported that three civilians were killed and 33 others injured in the attacks. NTV Uganda’s Sudhir Byaruganga was among the first journalists to arrive at the scene and cover the incident. While the public received the information on their television screens in great professional detail, Sudhir still struggles to get the events of that day out of his head. This is a common experience among journalists who are neither trained nor adequately prepared for the mental demands of covering such traumatic events. In this conversation with Sudhir, #RANDOM with Abalo Irene Otto explores how journalists who experience mental trauma after witnessing disturbing scenes while on duty can be supported. Watch, reflect, and join the conversation on the mental well-being of journalists. God bless you! Since you are already here, would you do me a favour and subscribe to this channel? You’ll be notified whenever a new episode is uploaded. Your comments and shares also help us do more in reaching a wider community of viewers to benefit from the experiences shared here. You can access Abalo Irene Otto and learn more about her work here: AfriMedia Training Institute https://afrimediatraininginstitute.co... LinkedIn   / abalo-irene-otto-445722126   Facebook   / abalo.irene   X (Formerly Twitter) https://x.com/AbaloIrene1