Courtrooms provide a front-row seat to human tragedy, incredible drama and excruciating emotion and deep pain. It is easy to get caught up in all of that. Don't.
Remember we must strive to minimize harm in all of our work. Trials for the survivors of violence bring back raw emotions.
This is journalism. These are people's lives. This is not entertainment.
The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma provides excellent tips and resources for interviewing crime victims/survivors. I encourage you to refer to their site often as you begin your reporting career. We will also discuss trauma-informed reporting in coming weeks in class as well.
The victims in this case:
Christopher “Chris” Rhoden, 40, father and grandfather, who worked as a laborer at Big Bear Lake Family Resort. He was shot nine times in a trailer on Union Hill Road he shared with his cousin. He was awake and appeared to fight with his attacker.
Dana Lynn Manley Rhoden, 37, mother and grandmother, who often worked double shifts as a nursing assistant at the now-closed Hillside Skilled Nursing and Rehab Center in Peebles, Ohio. She was shot four times in the head, including once under the chin, in a trailer at she shared with her two youngest children. The family had moved into the trailer less than a month before the homicides.
Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, 20, father of two young boys who worked at a local sawmill and sometimes at Big Bear Lake Family Resort. An avid hunter and fisherman and demolition-derby enthusiast. He was shot twice in the head and found dead in bed with Hannah Hazel Gilley and their infant son, who was unharmed. His 3-year-old son, from a different woman, was in another room of the trailer the night of the killings and was physically unharmed.
Hanna May Rhoden, 19, mother to two young daughters, worked as a certified nursing assistant and was set to graduate high school in May 2016. Hanna, who seized life, lived with her mother and younger brother, and adored her daughters — the oldest of whom was at the center of the custody battle. Hanna was shot twice in the face. Her then-5-day-old daughter was found unharmed in bed alongside Hanna’s body.
Christopher “Chris” Rhoden Jr., 16, a freshman at Piketon High School, had recently gotten his driver’s license and lived with his mother and older sister. He was shot four times, including twice in the top of his head, near his bed in his family’s trailer.
Hannah Hazel Gilley, 20, fiancee to Frankie Rhoden, described as a doting mother to their 6-month-old son. She described Frankie Rhoden as “the love of my life.” She was shot five times in the head, including once in the left eye. She was found in bed with Frankie and their son between them.
Kenneth Rhoden, 44, father and grandfather. A motorcycle enthusiast and bear of a man who awoke daily at 4:30 a.m. and traveled to Columbus where he worked at U.S. Utilities. He was shot once in the right eye in his camper, about 15 minutes from the other Rhoden properties.
Gary Rhoden, 38, lived with his cousin Chris Rhoden Sr., who helped him with alcohol and drug addictions. The two were described as best friends. He was three times in the head in Chris Rhoden’s trailer.
A quick tip:
Keep photo/s of the victim/s within eyesight as you write. I do this. It reminds me I am writing about people.
This is my office.
Questions for the class:
What are two things you learned from the Dart Center's tip, linked above?
As you begin your reporting, how will you work to minimize harm? Provide one specific action.
What questions do you have for me?
What are two things you learned from the Dart Center's tip, linked above?
Two things I learned are that you shouldn't fake compassion and sometimes it can be better to hold off on interviewing people involved in traumatic cases. I feel like it would be difficult to interview people who have gone through traumatic things like their family members being murdered because I have never gone through anything traumatic myself. I guess the way to not fake compassion would be to take time to reflect on everything the person you're going to interview has been through and how you might be feeling in their shoes. This reflection might help guide how you ask questions and the tone you use. I…
1. I learned that when you are working with victims and survivors you should always ask for consent when it comes to photographing, videotaping or even recording them. It is always best to approach this circumstances with compassion. These are real people with real lives that are grieving the loss of a loved one. You might have to ask yourself how you would feel if you were put in the same position. I also learned that in the case when you are covering a horrific tragedy, you want to especially pay close attention to re-check facts, the spelling of the victims name for example is crucial. If you get this wrong it can bring lots of pain to the loved…
I learned that you cannot "feign compassion." This basically means do not fake your emotions, you can offer sincere condolences rather than saying "I know how you feel." I think this is important because while you are there to get a story, you cannot forget that the people you are talking to have just been through a serious thing, they need to know that you are sorry for their loss, but only to say it if you mean it. I also learned that it is essential to check and re-check your facts.
As I begin my career in this field I want to minimize harm by being myself. I think I have always been pretty good at talking to people,…
I learned that it is better to hold off on asking the immediate people affected for an interview because they need time to process. Instead ask others not as closely affected like officials involved in the case. That one stood out to me because I know the journalist in me would try to go to the people who are most involved when in reality they are going through something unimaginable. Also thought it was good to know that we should not bring up any deaths if the person does not know about it. They should find out from the authorities. Also to not repeat unconfirmed information.
I would want to research more on the psychology of victims. Noting down what…