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Preparing journalism graduates for career trauma exposure: an exploration of perspectives of South African university journalism educators

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Christians, Nadine
Other Authors: Jordaan, Marenet
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: 2023
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access_status_str Open Access
author Christians, Nadine
author2 Jordaan, Marenet
author_browse Christians, Nadine
Jordaan, Marenet
author_facet Jordaan, Marenet
Christians, Nadine
author_sort Christians, Nadine
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/126998
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:46:16.958Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2023
publishDateRange 2023
publishDateSort 2023
record_format dspace
source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/126998 Preparing journalism graduates for career trauma exposure: an exploration of perspectives of South African university journalism educators Christians, Nadine Jordaan, Marenet Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism. Journalism, Educational --South Africa Journalists -- South Africa -- Selection and appointment Journalists -- Study and teaching -- South Africa Journalism -- Study and teaching -- Evaluation UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: To focus on the effect of exposure to trauma on the mental wellbeing of journalists has become a topical issue amongst journalism studies scholars. As secondary respondents to violence, war, murder, gender-based violence and protests, and because of interviewing victims and survivors of trauma, journalists are not immune to the effect that covering explicit incidences of trauma can have on their mental health. This study examined trauma exposure and the effect it has on journalists in general and journalism students specifically. It explored the journalism curricula of tertiary education institutions and provided the perspectives of journalism educators within a South African context. The study highlights the importance of journalism students being prepared by journalism educators for on-the-job trauma exposure and the effect it could have on their health. Research for the study started with a thorough literature review to determine the extent to which previous research has been conducted on trauma and journalism and journalism trauma education. This researcher utilised an ethics of care as the theoretical point of departure, and used care, the four elements of care, and relationship between the educator and student as a foundation for the research study. By conducting semi-structured interviews with ten journalism educators from a variety of South African universities, this research study identified themes related to the research problem, including trauma experienced by journalism students; the need to prepare journalism students for trauma exposure; trauma education and awareness in the journalism curriculum; the educator’s duty of care; and the implications of trauma education on the journalism student, higher learning institution and the journalism profession. The research findings indicate that trauma education and training is not formalised within the majority of the South African universities that participated in the study. However, while it may not be formalised, trauma awareness is discussed and informally addressed in the journalism classroom. This researcher would suggest including formal trauma exposure guidelines or formal trauma awareness training within the journalism curriculum to better prepare journalism graduates for on-the-job trauma exposure. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die impak wat die blootstelling aan trauma op die psigiese welstand van joernaliste het, is tans van wesenlike belang vir joernalistiekstudies-navorsers. As sekondêre respondente van geweld, oorlog, moord, geslagsgebaseerde geweld, betogings en onderhoudvoering met slagoffers en oorlewendes van trauma, is joernaliste nie immuun teen die uitwerking wat die dekking van eksplisiete voorvalle van trauma op hul psigiese gesondheid het nie. Hierdie studie het die blootstelling aan trauma en die effek wat dit op joernaliste in die algemeen en spesifiek joernalistiekstudente het, ondersoek. Daar is ondersoek ingestel na die joernalistiekkurrikulum van tersiêre opvoedkundige instellings en joernalistiekdosente se perspektiewe binne ’n Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Die studie beklemtoon die noodsaaklikheid daarvan om joernalistiekstudente voor te berei vir traumablootstelling en die effek wat dit op hul gesondheid kan hê. ʼn Literatuuroorsig het die studie ingelei om te bepaal tot watter mate daar reeds navorsing oor trauma in joernalistiek en joernalistieke trauma-opleiding gedoen is. Die navorser het die etiek van versorging as die teoretiese vertrekpunt gebruik en versorging, die vier elemente van versorging, en die verhouding tussen die dosent en student as grondslag vir die studie gebruik. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is met tien joernalistiekdosente aan verskeie Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite gevoer om temas wat verband hou met die navorsingsprobleem te identifiseer, insluitende die behoefte om joernalistiekstudente vir traumablootstelling voor te berei; trauma-opvoeding en -bewustheid in die joernalistiekkurrikulum; die dosent se plig om te versorg; en die implikasies van trauma-opvoeding vir die joernalistiekstudent, hoëronderwysinstellings en professionele joernalistiek. Die navorsing dui daarop dat trauma-opvoeding en -opleiding by die meerderheid van die Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite wat aan hierdie studie deelgeneem het, nie geformaliseer is nie. Alhoewel nie formeel nie, word traumabewustheid egter wel in die joernalistiekklaskamer bespreek en informeel aangespreek. Hierdie navorser stel voor dat formele traumabewustheidsriglyne en opleiding binne die joernalistiekkurrikulum ingesluit moet word om joernalistiekgegradueerdes beter voor te berei vir traumablootstelling in die werkplek. Masters 2023-02-17T11:09:21Z 2023-05-18T06:59:26Z 2023-02-17T11:09:21Z 2023-05-18T06:59:26Z 2023-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/126998 en_ZA Stellenbosch University v, 87 pages application/pdf
spellingShingle Journalism, Educational --South Africa
Journalists -- South Africa -- Selection and appointment
Journalists -- Study and teaching -- South Africa
Journalism -- Study and teaching -- Evaluation
UCTD
Christians, Nadine
Preparing journalism graduates for career trauma exposure: an exploration of perspectives of South African university journalism educators
title Preparing journalism graduates for career trauma exposure: an exploration of perspectives of South African university journalism educators
title_full Preparing journalism graduates for career trauma exposure: an exploration of perspectives of South African university journalism educators
title_fullStr Preparing journalism graduates for career trauma exposure: an exploration of perspectives of South African university journalism educators
title_full_unstemmed Preparing journalism graduates for career trauma exposure: an exploration of perspectives of South African university journalism educators
title_short Preparing journalism graduates for career trauma exposure: an exploration of perspectives of South African university journalism educators
title_sort preparing journalism graduates for career trauma exposure an exploration of perspectives of south african university journalism educators
topic Journalism, Educational --South Africa
Journalists -- South Africa -- Selection and appointment
Journalists -- Study and teaching -- South Africa
Journalism -- Study and teaching -- Evaluation
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/126998
work_keys_str_mv AT christiansnadine preparingjournalismgraduatesforcareertraumaexposureanexplorationofperspectivesofsouthafricanuniversityjournalismeducators