Navigating Trauma in Sub-Saharan African Journalism : Scholarly Foundations and Secondary Trauma

This edited volume explores the phenomenon of secondary trauma among sub-Saharan African journalists tasked with covering violent events, conflicts, and crises, shedding light on the profound psychological and emotional impacts of witnessing violence indirectly through their professional reporting. By combining empirical studies, theoretical discussions, and case-specific analyses, the book offers a crucial examination of how journalists experience, process, and navigate the psychological burdens associated with reporting traumatic events. The book seeks to contribute to ongoing development of trauma-informed journalistic practices, and a cultural shift towards prioritizing mental health in media organizations.

Kealeboga Aiseng is a senior lecturer in the Department of Media Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. His books include Sociolinguistics of South African Television: Language Ideologies in Selected Case Studies, Political Economy of African Popular Culture: Political Interplay (co-edited), Public Health Communication Challenges to Minority and Indigenous Communities (co-edited), and Social Media and Gender in Africa: Discourses and Politics of Everyday Life (co-edited).

Chikezie E. Uzuegbunam is Deputy Head of School for Teaching and Research, senior lecturer in Media Studies, and Master’s Programme Coordinator in the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University, South Africa. His latest book is Children and Young People’s Digital Lifeworlds: Domestication, Mediation, and Agency published in 2024 by Palgrave Macmillan under the book series of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR).