The former editor, journalist of BBC – Angelina Fusco, who has 30 years of experience and who was in Armenia with the aim of transmitting her experience to the representatives of the Armenian media, told if the journalists are traumatized, they go to drink or smoke.
During the 3-day training, the last day of which was yesterday, the BBC specialist taught the journalists how to do so as to get traumatized as little as possible, she told also about her traumas throughout her working experience.
The training was organized by Media Initiatives Center which had invited psychologist Marine Petrosyan together with Angleina Fuso as well. The psychologist found that the impact of trauma cannot pass without a side effect, that is, the one who got a trauma, in this case the representatives of media worked in hotspots or with vulnerable groups, should apply to a psychologist.
The specialist explained what the difference between stress and trauma is, for the journalists to be able to differ in which case they are stressed and in which case they are traumatized. As stated by Marine Petrosyan, in case of stress, the organism is able to control itself, besides, stress can also have a positive influence, and trauma can never have a positive influence. According to the psychologist, in case of trauma, the past and the future are divided, people cannot link the past to the future: “If a fear, a dread, helpless condition is present or the images of this or that event have pursued for a long time, one has suffered a trauma.”
According to Angelina Fusco, both physical and mental security is important and April War showed that the representatives of the Armenian media have a need of suchlike trainings.
BBC specialist gave several advices on having a psychological security to the journalists. She told, in particular, while doing an interview with the vulnerable groups, one should not pass the line between the journalist and that man and become his friend, as she stated, the journalist should also conduct a self-care: “It is very important to take care of ourselves, in a lot of cases we think about the people suffered, but we will do our job better taking care of ourselves correctly.”
The journalist with an experience of a lot of years also informed that in the case of receiving a trauma, one should not smoke or drink but apply for the specialist’s help.
Lusine BUDAGHYAN
