In this lecture, we will explore reporting during times of war. Dating back to Thucydides, correspondents have reported from the frontlines to keep people apprised of what was happening in war zones. In modern history, reporting on war has shaped public perceptions of conflict and influenced the government’s decision-making, while photojournalism has brought the reality of war to front pages and television screens. War correspondents risk their lives to bring the stories of war to the people and this work continues in coverage of today’s conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and Israel and Hamas. More recently, news organizations have become increasingly concerned about the impact such reporting has on its people, so this lecture will also touch on aspects of trauma-informed reporting.

Kirstie Hettinga (Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University) is an associate professor of communication at California Lutheran University. She teaches media writing, editing, and content creation and serves as the faculty adviser to Cal Lutheran’s award-winning student newspaper, The Echo. Her research addresses issues of accuracy and credibility in news media, as well as how students learn in student newsrooms. Her work has been published in Newspaper Research Journal, College Media Review, Journal of Media Ethics, and Journalism Practice.