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Journalists who aim to shine a light on issues such as domestic abuse or sexual violence often have to deal with the added pressure of making survivors of such events relive their traumatic experiences for the sake of an interview or story.

In this post on IJNet, contributor Sherry Ricchiardi explains how reporters can avoid this and approach their interviewees with empathy and respect.

The article includes recommendations from media expert Steve Buttry, who encourages journalists never to say 'I understand how you feel', but instead start by saying 'I would like to tell your story'.

Ricchiardi also explained that a reporter should never assume someone will refuse to tell their story, even if it may seem like a possibility, and advised journalists to start the interview by asking more mundane questions before the person is ready to talk about their experience.

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