The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma has named Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Jeremy Redmon a 2022 Ochberg Fellow, an honor that comes with special training for how to report responsibly on violence, conflict and tragedy.
Established in 1999 and named after Dart Center founder and pioneering psychiatrist Frank Ochberg, the fellowship features a weeklong program of seminars and other events this summer at Columbia University in New York City with leading experts on trauma and mental health.
The program aims to help journalists deepen their understanding of psychological injury and interview and write about survivors with greater sensitivity and skill.
Redmon is among 15 fellows from six continents who were chosen from more than 350 journalists in all media around the world. The fellows, according to the Dart Center, “specialize in covering violence, conflict and tragedy on every scale, from street crime and family violence to natural disasters, war, conflict and genocide.”
“This year’s Ochberg Fellows represent the best of a generation of journalists who came of age committed to deep engagement with trauma — and then in the last two years found that commitment tested by pandemic, civil unrest, historical reckonings and war,” Bruce Shapiro, executive director of the Dart Center, said Thursday in announcing the news.
The Dart Center, a project of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, leads research on the psychological impact of reporting on traumatic events, offers safety training for journalists and supports press freedom here and abroad.
“This is an extraordinary honor, and a well deserved one,” said Jennifer Brett, senior editor for Crime and Public Safety for the AJC. “Jeremy exemplifies journalistic excellence in his aggressive, thorough and compassionate coverage.”
An award-winning journalist with nearly three decades of experience reporting for newspapers, Redmon has written extensively for The AJC about war, refugee crises, the coronavirus pandemic and the opioid overdose epidemic. Many of his articles are about trauma and resilience.
His assignments have taken him to the White House, the U.S.-Mexico border, Central America and the Middle East. Between 2004 and 2006, he embedded with U.S. troops during three trips to Iraq. Redmon previously reported for the Richmond Times-Dispatch and is a graduate of the University of Georgia’s Master of Fine Arts program in narrative nonfiction writing.
Redmon also teaches journalism at Kennesaw State University, where he created a course about how to report safely and ethically on trauma. The semester-long class has featured numerous guest speakers, including Georgians who have survived harrowing battles with COVID-19 and addiction, experts from the Dart Center and fellow journalists from The AJC.
“I have tremendous respect for the Dart Center and the people who work there and I am deeply grateful for this honor,” Redmon said of receiving the fellowship. “I cannot wait to share what I learn from this program with my colleagues at The AJC, our readers and my journalism students at Kennesaw State University.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the leading journalism organization in the Southeast, focuses its reporting staff on local matters and closely monitors state and local governments, the local economy, entertainment and sports.
For a list of careers at the AJC, please visit https://jobs.coxenterprises.com/home/ajc/
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