The Trauma Beat - #1 - Introduction

The Trauma Beat

The Trauma Beat pulls together conversations about the media and trauma and all the (often) ugly ways the two intersect.

Host Tamara Cherry is an award-winning journalist, trauma researcher, and the founder of Pickup Communications, a public relations firm that supports trauma survivors and the stakeholders who surround them. She spent the bulk of her career as a crime reporter in some of Canada's largest newsrooms, including the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun and CTV News Toronto. She is now focussed on changing the system by which trauma survivors interact with and are impacted by the media, to the benefit of all stakeholders.

Tamara surveyed or interviewed more than 100 trauma survivors — from homicides to traffic fatalities, sexual violence to mass violence — and more than two dozen journalists as part of her research examining the impact of the media on trauma survivors and the impact of trauma on members of the media. This research inspired her latest book, The Trauma Beat: A Case for Re-Thinking the Business of Bad News, which was described in a Quill & Quire starred review as "a stunning work that should be required reading for journalism students, news reporters, true crime junkies, and anyone who wants to write narratives that heal, instead of harm."

Guests of The Trauma Beat include trauma survivors, survivor support workers, journalists, and investigators. Listeners are encouraged to read the show notes before each episode to avoid activating their own trauma responses.

Each guest is afforded the opportunity to review and veto a list of anticipated questions before the recorded conversation. Ongoing, informed consent is sought throughout the production process.

For more trauma-informed journalism resources, visit pickupcommunications.com.

If you'd like to be a guest on the show or inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please email [e-mail].