A review by jenglandk
The Trauma Beat: A Case for Re-Thinking the Business of Bad News by Tamara Cherry

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad

5.0

 Compelling every step of the way - Cherry does an excellent job explaining the trauma suffered by everyone involved in creating trauma journalism while passionately advocating for meaningful change in the field. While it is obvious every chapter was carefully crafted, the chapters on reporting indigenous trauma and human trafficking are masterfully done and quite moving. Clearly journalists and survivors/victims who have been contacted by the media are the main topic of Cherry’s work, but despite what other reviews have stated, I think that everyone is the target audience for this book. After all, who among us has not derived a sick satisfaction from watching a particularly gruesome news story as we pretend to cover our eyes? This book has reframed the way I think about media coverage and true crime in a similar way “I Have Some Question For You” by Rebecca Makkai did. I would love to see Cherry extend her research on vicarious trauma to include other professions who experience similar pain points, like education and medicine, because it is clear to anyone who has experienced trauma that her research is vital.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tamara Cherry, and ECW Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!