The Series
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The idea for "Pressing On" began with a natural curiosity about trauma journalism. Flip on the television and you'll find stories about mass shootings, disease outbreaks, refugee crises, war, and a host of other devastating problems.
After years of consuming this type of news, I wanted answers. How were these journalists running into violence and conflict while everyone else was running away? How do they prepare for interviews? Do these issues haunt reporters long after their story is written?
With these questions in mind, I embarked on the creation of "Pressing On." I sat down with four journalists who shared their stories of covering tragedy and trauma. This is a severely understudied topic, and there are plenty of questions that still need answered. But this series is the first step in opening the conversation and reaching a deeper understanding of the ethics and effects of trauma journalism.
The Journalists
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Jamie Ward
Jamie Ward is a sports and news reporter at the Geauga Maple Leaf in Chardon, Ohio. He's been with the Maple Leaf since 2008, and lives in Chardon with his wife and three boys. Jamie talked with me about covering the 2012 Chardon High School school shooting, and what it was like for him to serve in dual purpose as both a reporter and invested community member.
Terry DeMio
Rachel Dissell
Rachel Dissell has been a reporter at the Cleveland Plain Dealer since 2002 and reports on social justice issues. For almost a decade, Dissell has done reporting about untested rape kits in the Cleveland police department. Our discussion follows her journey of uncovering this problem, interviewing traumatized survivors of sexual assault, and her coping process.
Terry DeMio is the heroin epidemic reporter at the Cincinnati Enquirer. Her team won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for a project titled "Seven Days of Heroin." She talks with me about covering a major health crisis, how she finds sources, and how she keeps her stories relevant in a fast-paced news environment.
About the show
The Host
Julie Ciotola is an Ohio-based journalist who has covered politics, news, and community feature stories. She is the reporter, editor, producer, and fact-checker for this series.
See more of her work at
Special thanks to Elizabeth Hendrickson, Bob Long, Bernhard Debatin, Logan Marshall, and the Ohio University Honors Tutorial College for making this series possible. The theme music for the show is courtesy of Joseph McDade.
Questions or comments? Email pressingonpodcast123@gmail.com
Tania Rashid
Tania Rashid is a freelance foreign correspondent and producer. After receiving her master's degree from Columbia University, she went on to cover a host of stories in South Asia for Al Jazeera English, CNN International, and Vice News. We discuss the ethics and impact of her coverage of the 2017 Rohingya refugee crisis.
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