Journalists are people with jobs that demand both physical and mental strength, because they are the first people to directly witness and experience traumatic events that law enforcement and emergency workers experience. Journalists are historical witnesses who are tasked to present events authentically to the public. However, being witnesses usually means witnessing painful traumatic events and has secondary traumatic effects. Secondary trauma is a trauma that are suffered by those who are not affected directly by the events.

Through the lens of journalism, viewers and readers can also feel the pain of an event. In other words, videos, photos, or writings that journalists make can have negative psychological effects on viewers and readers.

To prevent negative effects from the coverage of traumatic events, journalists and the media need to equip themselves with the understanding of trauma, affects, and responses. Also, journalists who are aware of the impact of traumatic events can play a part in the community recovery through their medium.