site.btaSofia to Host Workshops on Reporting Domestic Violence, Traumatic Experiences

A workshop on how to report domestic violence in an impactful way - and change public opinion on the issue - is part of the programme of Sofia Talks Media: Youth conference. It will take place on July 1, the Association of European Journalists - Bulgaria (AEJ-Bulgaria) said Monday. During the event, participants will learn about the best practices in reporting on domestic violence: stories about crimes committed by current or former partners, about the community of survivors and especially about children who lost their parents to femicide.

For Romanian reporter Oana Sandu, domestic violence - a portfolio she has covered for the past 10 years - is a national health issue. She will address the topics of how to report and write with care and empathy for women and children who are victims of domestic violence; how we can find resources and experts to help us learn more about this social phenomenon; how to build a community of readers who follow the issue; and how to cover this sensitive topic in a way that will change public views on the issue.

Sandu is a Romanian freelance journalist with more than 15 years of experience in radio and narrative journalism. Over the last 10 years, her reporting has shed light mainly on social issues such as extreme poverty, discrimination against children with disabilities, the childbirth system, but especially domestic violence. Her stories have changed Romanian society's attitude towards the issue of domestic violence and led to legislative changes in the country.

Another workshop during Sofia Talks Media: Youth will focus on how to interview people who have experienced trauma: what reporters should keep in mind when interviewing children, migrants and other people who have experienced trauma. This 90-minute workshop is designed to deepen understanding of what trauma is and how it affects people; how to conduct interviews that do not re-traumatize survivors; and how to make checklists of what to consider before, during, and after the interview. The speaker is Irene Casselli, a multimedia reporter and writer with over 15 years of experience in radio, television and print media, including the BBC, The Washington Post, The Guardian and The New York Times. Recently, she has focused on topics such as early childhood development, reproductive rights and caregivers. She is also a senior advisor to the Early Childhood Development Reporting Initiative at the Dart Centre for Journalism & Trauma, a prestigious journalism organization that specializes in reporting on violence, conflict, and trauma.

The event is supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and the America for Bulgaria Foundation, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bulgaria, Dart Centre for Journalism & Trauma, National Network for Children.