Online seminar – Using trigger warnings in journalism education

The AJE committee has been busy planning ahead and we are delighted to invite you to our next online seminar. You can see details of the event, link to register and the summary below.

What? – AJEUK Spring event – Using Trigger Warnings in Journalism Education

When? March 13th, 2024

Where? Online – 2:30pm to 4pm

Register here to join the guestlist and receive a Zoom link and passcod

Presenters: Karen Boyle, Melanie McCarry and Melody House from the University of Strathclyde

About this Event

Although the use of trigger warnings has become more widespread, there is a lack of clarity over when and where they should be used, and whether they are helpful. While existing research might claim that ‘trigger warnings’ don’t work – and may even be harmful – it does not focus on teaching and learning practice, or consider how students and staff understand their own experiences.

This is even more pertinent in journalism education where students and staff are required to quickly navigate sensitive news subjects – such as conflict, death and forms of abuse – dependent on the reporting of current events.  
For the past year, Karen Boyle, Melanie McCarry and Melody House from the University of Strathclyde have been investigating how tutors in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences in UK Higher Education use (and don’t use) trigger warnings. They ran an online survey of 525 teaching staff and focus groups with 42 staff and student-survivors of gender-based violence to critically examine current teaching practice alongside the experiences and needs of student-survivors.  

Please come along to the next AJE online seminar where they will share their findings from their project and facilitate a conversation on how ‘trigger warnings’ may impact and inform journalism teaching practice and pedagogy.
This project is funded by a BA/Leverhulme Grant: SRG22\221390.