As part of the cooperation of Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs with Kharkiv Press Club, trainings on “Conflict-sensitive journalism. How to work with victims?” were conducted for the representatives of Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
The trainers of the press tour were: psychologists, professors of the Department of Pedagogy and Psychology of KhNUIA Svitlana Kharchenko and Nataliia Miloradova (Doctor in Psychology, graduate of the course "Psychotherapy of traumatic experience"); Nataliia Novikova, head of the Center for Correctional and Psychological Activities of KhNUIA; Roman Cheremsky, a journalist with the Malva TV agency who spent more than three months in captivity by Luhansk People's Republic militants.
During the conversation, the trainers told the participants about the psychological features of conducting an interview with a victim of conflict, in particular, how to avoid emotional burnout. They noted that prolonged interviews with people who have suffered psychological trauma can affect professional performance and make a journalist less sensitive.
Psychologists explained to journalists how to work delicately and constructively with victims, to avoid unnecessary intervention and not to cause them even more harm. KhNUIA researchers provided advice on risk assessment, features of individual communication with anonymous, strangers and potentially dangerous people. Strategies for confronting a psychological aggressor were also considered.
At the end of the event there was a meaningful discussion, during which representatives of print and electronic media received answers to questions and exchanged contacts for further cooperation.