By Shereen Siewert, Editor of Wausau Pilot & Review

Few people living in and around the Wausau area will ever forget the tragic events that unfolded on the afternoon of March 22, 2017 when four people, including a decorated police detective, were killed in a shooting rampage that rocked the community. The shootings scarred us all, leaving family and friends of the fallen in unspeakable pain.

Today, friends and family members of the fallen will gather with our law enforcement community for a day of remembrance.

An initial request by law enforcement that the media stay away reflects a common belief: journalists get in the way of things, and in the wake of tragedies, their presence can do more harm than good. That belief is reinforced when we hear stories about journalists pounding on doors for interviews, or camping out on people’s front lawns. (After a number of media outlets requested access to today’s ceremonies, the law enforcement community thoughtfully set up accommodations for media members to observe without intrusion. )

To change people’s perspective, though, we have to show how the media can have a positive impact — through the stories we tell and the way we interact with the communities we’re covering.

People do want to know how the families are healing. They care. And sometimes news stories, and the images that accompany them, compel people to act. They play a role in helping create a sense of compassion – feeling someone else’s pain, and acting.

Consuming news about a tragedy like the March 22, 2017 shooting can cause added stress, even for those who haven’t been personally affected by it. A new UC Irvine study found that repeated exposure to media coverage of a tragic event leads people to experience acute stress symptoms.

The findings suggest there’s a need for coverage that balances out negative news about tragedies. By telling stories about how people are coping, instead of continuing to focus on the tragedy itself, journalists can capture the meaningful movement from heartbreak to hope.

Too often, we as journalists decide what makes a good story. We decide who to interview, what questions to ask, and how to frame our stories. A few years ago, Michael Skoler, a board member for Images and Voices of Hope, wrote about the disadvantages of having so much control:

“I fear that we have become disconnected from the public. We have made ourselves the judges of what is meaningful in the world, instead of asking the audience. Now and then, we judge right and our coverage builds connections between people, mobilizes action and changes lives.”

But sometimes our judgement is off. Sometimes we can come across as callous — as people who will go to extremes to get the stories we want. What if we let go of some of our control and convinced more people that they could trust us?

Perhaps by letting go, we could make people feel like they have a greater say in the narrative about their community. Maybe then, we could break down barriers between the public and the press and do a better job helping people heal — rather than being seen as an impediment to that healing.

Today is a day to reflect. It is a day to heal. And it is a day to remember that out of this tragedy, there has emerged a sense of togetherness. Let’s not lose sight of that in the days ahead.

Today, our hearts go out to the families, friends, and officers left behind. We stand in solidarity with you all.

Wausau Pilot and Review gladly posts letters to the editor about topics concerning the Wausau area. Email letters to [email protected]