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Coping with trauma for anyone requires
special effort
By
Dorie L. Griggs
Special to GwinnettForum.com
(Editor's Note: How do journalists cope with
trauma? One lady has made a study about it. After a career in
various public relations and marketing positions, Dorie L. Griggs
attended Columbia Theological Seminary. She graduated in 2002
with a master of divinity degree. After graduation she served
as the Communications Manager for Faith And The City, a nonprofit
organization with programs in several Atlanta area seminaries.
In that capacity she produced the award winning interfaith dialogue
cable TV program, Faith And The City Forum. She is the author
of a self-care advice column for newspaper journalists, One-On-One,
which appeared in the e-Letter of the Southern Newspaper Publishers
Association in 2003-04. -eeb)
DEC. 15, 2006 -- Imagine you are a journalist on the first day
of your first job right out of college. You walk into a gruesome
crime scene. In front of you lie several bodies bloodied from the
gunfight that ended just a short while ago. You are given the task
of investigating the scene and writing a report all within a few
hours.
Griggs |
This is just one scenario a new journalist may face. Many journalists
tell me they still recall every detail of the first difficult story
they covered. Reporting the news in a timely manner often means
pushing your own emotional reactions to the side. When we delay
feeling emotions to do our jobs properly, we often revisit those
feelings later.
Throughout my adult life, I've had the privilege to listen as news
journalists relay difficult situations they've encountered while
doing their jobs. Each journalist developed coping skills for handling
the violent and traumatic events he or she reported. Some eventually
left the field too overwhelmed by the stories they covered.
Many journalists enter the profession out of a desire to help society,
to expose an injustice, and to improve the human condition. Like
first responders to any emergency, journalists must develop coping
mechanisms to process their experiences while continuing to do their
jobs.
Journalists who write or talk on air about a story have one outlet
for the difficult situations they've witnessed, but they generally
have to develop their own support network. Photojournalists and
videographers often do not have the writing outlet. Doing their
job properly requires close proximity to the event with only the
lens of their camera between the trauma and their eyes. They too
must develop their own outlets for processing what they witness.
Certainly, a level of detachment is necessary when covering tragic
events, but complete detachment from any pain or hurt is not desirable.
It can lead to larger problems, physically and mentally. Anyone
struggling with emotions after a difficult assignment should:
* Keep a personal journal of your feelings.
* Find a family member, friend or group of friends to talk to
regularly and share your experiences.
* Seek out a professional counselor. Many organizations offer
assistance through their employee assistance program.
* Give yourself permission to feel the emotion.
It's normal to be upset and feel down after exposure to a tragedy.
Crying, and other outlets are a healthy way to deal with exposure
to difficult situations. But, if you are experiencing lingering
problems at work and/or at home, you may be experiencing depression.
Signs of depression include: a change in weight, difficulty sleeping,
or a general sense of helplessness. Depression is treatable, but
you must see a doctor.
After covering a difficult story, treat yourself well. Don't set
unrealistic personal goals. Take time for yourself: Take a walk,
treat yourself to a day at the spa, play a game of basketball, rent
a funny movie.
Remember, the people you care about want to help you through this
time. Let them know how they can help, even if it means waiting
to visit until you're up to it. Above all, take care of yourself.
For further reading:
* The Dart Center for Journalists and Trauma offers an online
resource for journalists who cover traumatic events at http://www.dartcenter.org.
* Simpson, R. & Cote, William E. Covering Violence: A Guide
to Ethical Reporting About Victims & Trauma. SECOND EDITION,
New York, Chichester, West Essex: Columbia University Press, 2006.
* Feinstein, A. Dangerous Lives: War and the Men and Women Who
Report It. Toronto: Thomas Allen Publishers, 2003.
* Covering Trauma and Disaster: Impact Upon the Journalist
Prepared by River Smith and Elana Newman.
Legislature is culprit in heavy cost of runoff
election
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
DEC. 15, 2006 -- The culprit was the 2005 session of the Georgia
Legislature. That's the year that the Constitution of Georgia was
changed which resulted in the unnecessary run-off for Public Service
Commissioner a few days ago.
Brack |
That race was the only statewide runoff, and cost dearly….some
having estimated that the full statewide cost of the runoff may
have been $5 million.
In Gwinnett County, for instance, we know that the cost was at
least $148,590, according to figures produced by Lynn Ledford, the
elections supervisor. That cost is broken down like this:
Rent for polls $30,000
Poll Managers 35,550
Asst. Manager (2 per poll) 44,240
Clerks (not all polls) 9,500
Delivery 15,000
Printing 1,600
Absentee Ballots (800) 6,000
Night Workers 2,250
Overtime 3,000
General Supplies 1,000
Postage 500
Total $148,590
That's no small amount. The sad part is that the runoff was caused
by the Legislature's change in the election laws in 2005. The focus
on that law required all Georgians to have a photo ID before they
could vote, a provision that was thrown out by the courts before
the election.
But embedded in the bill was a provision called "no excuse
absentee," allowing anyone to get an absentee ballot, without
even having to give a reason. Previously, the law was that you had
to affirm that you would be out of town on election day, or were
handicapped, or were at least age 75, before you were allowed to
get an absentee ballot.
The other major provision changed the requirement to win a race
from having to get a majority, not a plurality of 45 per cent. In
the late 1990's, 45 per cent plurality was the threshold to win
a race. The 2005 Legislature changed that to a full majority.
Then throw in another change; the rise of a small third party,
in this case, the Libertarians, fielding candidates in several races.
The 4.9 per cent Libertarian vote in the Public Service Commission
threw this race to a runoff. And the indication is that such will
happen again in statewide races, and even in some local ones.
That could mean lots more costly runoffs in coming years. It cost
the State of Georgia very little to put on runoffs, since the Secretary
of State doesn't conduct the elections. Elections are paid for by
the individual counties. That means that the runoff costs are ultimately
on the back of the property owners of a county, since ad valorem
taxes form the tax base in each of the 159 counties.
Remember, there are 3,100 precincts in Georgia, most with 1,500
to 2,000 voters. And if each of the individual counties showed their
line-item costs like Lynn Ledford provided for Gwinnett, we maintain
that the cost would be at least $3 million and approach one key
official's estimate of $5 million figure.
Such a cost is unreasonable, when there are better means of ensuring
statewide runoffs. An election by a plurality of at least 45 per
cent would have worked in the Public Service Commission election,
though a Democrat, not a Republican, would have been the eventual
winner with 48.8 per cent of the vote.
The becoming-popular-idea of "Instant Runoffs" would
also have eliminated the need for another trek to the polls…and
eliminated the cost of a runoff.
The 2005 Legislature, in its wisdom, perhaps was trying to write
a better election law when it made its changes. The voter ID part
of that law was flawed. It makes you think that the move to majority
requirement, instead of a plurality, was also flawed. Gwinnett legislators
can lead the way toward a change in the laws, so that property owners
are not saddled with this unnecessary cost in 2008.
 The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is Wheeler/Kolb
Management Co. The company evolved from the name change of Hudgens
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A simpler holiday
Another great cartoon from Bill McLemore:
Thoughts concerning Hog Mountain and Rep. Jefferson
Editor, the Forum:
Two thoughts.
First, that was a great recent column about Hog Mountain and the
deceptive name change by the church. Think of how long the church
operated under the old name!
We're about to lose all the local flavor of the area. Remember
Pea Ridge, now Rehoboth, in DeKalb County? Wasn't it Possum Lake
before it was Lake Lucerne?
I agree - I think those folks at Hog Mountain Baptist were sold
out by some clever moves from a handful of people. I'll bet a bunch
of people transfer out. I would. There are plenty of other churches.
Too many people today strive to be urban and urbane, maybe a mistake
Second thought: corruption apparently pays in Louisiana, as we have
seen many times over the years. Democratic Congressman William Jefferson,
of $90,000 cash found in the freezer by the FBI fame, was re-elected
in a runoff Saturday to an eighth two-year term. Perhaps the $90,000
was a little cold cash for expense money.
The Congressional Black Caucus, well aware of Jefferson's sleaziness,
gave him a $5,000 campaign contribution anyway. Maybe crookedness
is a plus in some circles.
-- Marshall Miller, Lilburn
Hamilton
Mill area to get $8 million county park
A new Gwinnett County park in the Hamilton Mill area north of Dacula
will be under construction soon. The Gwinnett Commission awarded
a nearly $8 million contract to ASTRA Group Inc. of Manhasset, N.Y..
on Tuesday for the park. It will feature a football complex, teen
area and playground/picnic pavilion. It is expected to open in summer
2008. The site adjoins the County's new public safety training center
and includes space for a planned new branch library to be opened
in 2009. The address is 3900 Braselton Highway (Georgia Highway
124) at Pine Road.
A 15,000 square-foot playground will include universal design features,
an open lawn area, restrooms, a 60-foot octagonal open pavilion,
and 64 parking spaces. Community Services Director Phil Hoskins
said construction will also include installing utilities and landscaping,
extending a sewer line through the property, demolishing an existing
pump station, and building a maintenance building and an entrance
from SR124 with a traffic signal.
Lose and Associates, Inc. of Nashville, Tenn. designed the park
in conjunction with a citizen steering committee. Funding comes
from the SPLOST program with partial funding for the football press
box coming from the Mill Creek Athletic Association/Park Partnership
program. Less than 34 of the nearly 89 acres will be disturbed by
construction. The County purchased the site in 2000.
Western, Georgia scenes
subject of Suwanee artist show
Scenes from western national parks as well as Georgia state parks
are featured in the 16 paintings by Suwanee artist Lucy Brady that
currently are on exhibit at the City of Suwanee Crossroads Center,
323 Buford Highway.
The exhibit, entitled "Spacious Skies and Wonders," is
free and open to the public and will be on display through February.
Brady says that her realistic, uncluttered style is designed to
extol the beauty of the landscapes she paints using pastels, acrylics,
watercolors, and oils. "I want people to look at my paintings
and wish that they could be there," says the artist.
A member of the Georgia Watercolor Society, Brady teaches drawing
classes and does freelance illustrations and commission work, particularly
for the real estate community.. Brady's paintings are available
for purchase. The Suwanee Crossroads Center is open 8 a.m. to5 p.m.
weekdays and during municipal court sessions.
Bowen
Homes buys toys for Gwinnett Children's Shelter
About 60 Bowen Family Homes employees and friends invaded a local
Toys R Us recently, to shop for 15 children from the Gwinnett Children's
Shelter. After employees had filled their carts with the children's
wishes, the hometown builder picked up the tab.
Tip Cape, one of the owners of Bowen Family Homes, says: "This
project shows how a company can make a difference in the lives of
children and the community and also in the lives of employees. We
encourage others businesses in Gwinnett and throughout Atlanta to
discover ways they can positively impact the community, too, whether
it's through the Gwinnett Children's Shelter or another venue that
serves."
Casey Barber, permit coordinator at Bowen Family Homes, and
wife, Kristin, fill a cart with Christmas presents for a young
girl from the Gwinnett Children's Shelter. |
Many of the Bowen Family Homes employees brought their children
and spouses along to enjoy the excitement of shopping for a child
who might not otherwise receive Christmas surprises. Together, they
chose around 150 toys for the youth in crisis served by the shelter.
Later, company employees will shop for clothes for the children.
The Gwinnett Children's Shelter is a private, non-profit agency
that strives to provide children and youth in crisis a positive
environment for change and growth through shelter and community
outreach services. Founded in 1987, the Shelter serves 300 to 500
children and their families each year. To learn more, to volunteer
or to donate, visit www.gwinnettchildrenshelter.org.
EMC Foundation gives
$15,000 for pregnancy center
Each year the Pregnancy Resource Center of Gwinnett provides free
women's health care, early pre-natal care and healthy pregnancy
education to women with unplanned pregnancies.
Foundation funds come from members who contribute an average 50
cents a month by rounding up their monthly electric bills to the
next dollar amount. Since the beginning of 2006, the center has
provided over 750 pregnancy tests and 300 ultrasounds. The Jackson
EMC Foundation is a cooperative effort by Jackson EMC members to
improve the quality of life in their communities and assist individuals
in need
- An invitation: What
Web sites, books or restaurants have you enjoyed? Send us your
best recent visit to a restaurant or most recent book you have
read along with a short paragraph as to why you liked it, plus
what book you plan to read next. --eeb
Louisville
native becomes important Atlanta architect
W.
F. Denny was an important transitional figure in the development
of Georgia architecture at the turn of the 20th century. His work
reflects the major shifts in design that took place at that time
when the picturesque, eclectic forms of the Victorian era gave way
to neoclassicism and more historically accurate period revival styles.
Willlis Franklin Denny II was born in Louisville, Ga., in 1874.
Trained professionally at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., Denny
gained most of his expertise by working in established architectural
firms, including Bruce and Morgan in Atlanta. At 23 he launched
his own business and was instantly successful. Considering the brevity
of his career-he died from pneumonia at the age of 31-the range
of his work is astonishing. Although he designed many public and
commercial buildings, like the Jefferson County Courthouse and the
grand Piedmont Hotel in Atlanta, Denny is best known for his residential
and church architecture.
Atlanta's First United Methodist and St. Mark's United Methodist
churches are prominent Peachtree Street buildings in the Gothic
revival style. Smaller churches in this style were the Inman Park
United Methodist Church in Atlanta (1897) and Central Baptist Church
in Newnan (1898). While designing these traditionally styled churches,
Denny also produced the Westminster Presbyterian Church and the
Hebrew Synagogue (both in Atlanta) in a neoclassical style more
in keeping with the newer trends of the time.
Rhodes Hall |
The transitional nature of his work can also be seen in his domestic
designs. Rhodes Hall in Atlanta (1903) is a late example of picturesque
Victorian, with its irregular floor plan and massive exterior features
in the Romanesque revival style, accented with castlelike, crenellated
towers and parapets. Other homes by Denny, however, exhibit his
talent in neoclassical (the Victor Kriegshaber House, Atlanta, 1900)
and period revival styles.
Denny's early death prevented him from fulfilling his very promising
beginning. His legacy was greatly enhanced by the prominent careers
of Eugene Wachendorff and Neel Reid, who both trained in Denny's
office and became notable designers in the new century. The range
of Denny's work shows how one talented designer handled the dramatic
transition in architectural styles at the turn of the century.
John Heisman on considerations
of the fumble
"Better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football."
-- John Heisman, 1869-1936, legendary football coach, including
1903-1919 at Georgia Tech.
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is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible
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