Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Researching Journalists And Vulnerable Sources: Issues In The Design And Implementation Of A National Study, Stephen J. Tanner, Mark Pearson, Jolyon Sykes, Kerry Green

Faculty of Creative Arts - Papers (Archive)

This paper reports upon the design and implementation of a study of the way Australian newspaper journalists and their publications have dealt with vulnerable sources, particularly those from groups already identified as ‘vulnerable’ in Australian society. The Australian research into so-called ‘vulnerable’ sources has reinforced international studies identifying disability, post-trauma, mental illness, age and indigeneity as characteristics signalling individuals as worthy of special care when news events prompt journalists to seek their comments or portray them visually or textually in a story (see literature discussion below). Whole journalistic support and training packages have centred upon the reportage of people from …