Incorporating Trauma Literacy in Nigerian Journalism Curriculum
This study examined the integration of trauma literacy into the Nigerian journalism curriculum, drawing on in-depth interviews with 22 rookie journalists (final-year mass communication students) from Ebonyi State University. Guided by Constructivist Learning Theory and Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), the research assessed awareness of trauma literacy, evaluated the benefits of integrating trauma literacy into the journalism curriculum, identified the barrier affecting the implementation among others. Thematic analysis revealed low explicit awareness of trauma literacy despite experiential familiarity with emotional distress from covering violence, accidents, and conflicts. Participants perceived significant benefits for personal resilience, ethical source protection, and employability in Nigeria's insecurity-laden media landscape. Key barriers included curriculum rigidity, lecturer expertise gaps, and cultural stigma around vulnerability. Proposed strategies emphasized embedding trauma content across core courses via experiential pedagogies, partnerships with mental health experts, and policy advocacy. Findings indicate that students construct fragmented trauma knowledge through informal experiences but require guided reflection, simulations, and mentorship to achieve trauma-informed competence. Integrating trauma literacy emerges as essential for ethical, sustainable journalism education in conflict-prone contexts as is the case in Nigeria today. This helps to transform intuitive awareness into professional mastery. This study underscores the urgency of curriculum reform to equip Nigerian journalists to report responsibly while safeguarding their wellbeing.