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The Free Press Foundation training manual treats an interview with a traumatised person as a relationship of responsibility, not simply an information-gathering exercise. A source must retain control over disclosure, pace and publication, while the journalist must protect dignity without weakening verification.
Distress may appear as silence, anger, confusion, fatigue or sudden withdrawal. People can also struggle to remember events in order or describe what happened without becoming overwhelmed. The manual therefore asks reporters to recognise distress early, respond calmly and distinguish between voluntary sharing and pressure.
Australian assignments add practical complications. A reporter may travel from Sydney to a regional area or conduct a remote interview from Brisbane or Perth, often after work near a suburban station, community centre or café. The market includes the ABC and SBS, commercial newspapers, radio networks, digital publishers and small community outlets. Journalists must also account for the federal Privacy Act 1988 and differing state and territory defamation laws when handling identity, allegations and recordings.
Before the conversation, learn as much as you safely can about the source’s circumstances, check the facts you need and choose a private setting without surveillance. In a conflict zone, plan a safe route, an emergency contact and a way to stop the interview. Explain who will hear the material, where it will be stored and the likely publication process. This preparation reduces surprise, which can revive anxiety.
It also prevents promises the newsroom cannot keep. Do not guarantee absolute anonymity, legal protection or complete control over a story without consulting an editor or lawyer. This reflects the wider understanding of independent media's civic role: accountable journalism supports public discussion, and that trust depends on honest expectations about whose experiences are being reported.
Consent is not a form completed at the start; it is an ongoing agreement. Before sensitive questions, state the purpose, possible consequences and any limits on anonymity or withdrawal. The source can decline a topic, request a pause or choose whether a detail is publishable. Record consent accurately, especially when recording under Australian privacy and workplace rules.
A source may disclose one fact in confidence and then decide that it should not appear. Clarify what “off the record” means, since it does not automatically protect identity. If a person feels unable to continue, stop. The manual asks journalists to avoid trading care for a cleaner quote while also avoiding therapeutic language they are not qualified to provide.
A good interview plan moves from general context to specific detail only after trust has developed. It contains more time than the expected answer, fewer questions than the reporter wants and several routes to the same fact. This reduces the feeling of being cornered.
If a source describes financial strain or late-night online slot machines as a coping routine, the reporter should not seize on the behaviour or moralise. Its relevance to the story must be established without exposing a painful habit.
Avoid demands for names, graphic detail or proof that can be obtained elsewhere. If chronology is unclear, use events, places or routines as anchors. Accuracy should come from documentation and corroboration, not from compelling a distressed person to repeat themselves.
A source who becomes confused, hyperventilates, dissociates or repeatedly loses the thread may need the interview paused. Lessons from dam breach reporting show how vivid crisis descriptions can spread fear; the same principle applies when recounting violence, disaster or forced displacement. Reporters should convey facts without requiring a person to reenact the worst moment.
Do not diagnose trauma or promise that a technique will resolve it. Use a calm voice and plain language, allow silence and follow the source’s stated needs. If there is immediate danger, contact appropriate local emergency or support services rather than turning the incident into a media event.
Aftercare is part of source protection. Store recordings, contact details and sensitive notes in encrypted files with access limited to the assigned journalist and editor. Explain the retention period and when material will be deleted. If publication could expose the source to retaliation, consider a separate safety plan covering travel, housing, digital accounts and communication with family or colleagues.
Follow-up contact should offer the source a way to raise concerns, correct factual errors or withdraw from future participation where agreements permit it. If reporting has triggered renewed distress, provide information about specialist support without pressuring the person to discuss it publicly. Careful interviewing is both an ethical obligation and a durable form of rigorous journalism.
