Journal article
Applying Trauma Informed Principles to News Framing: A Case Study of the 2024 Bondi Junction Westfield Incident
Communication Research and Practice, Vol.Advanced access
06-Aug-2026
Abstract
Ethical responsibilities in reporting public trauma are increasingly recognised, yet empirical assessments in broadcast news remain limited. This study presents a systematic framing analysis of 56 television news stories on the April 2024 Westfield Bondi Junction incident, sampled from Australia’s major commercial channels and public broadcasters. Using a coding protocol aligned with SAMHSA’s six trauma informed principles, we evaluated safety practices, verification signals, empowerment and agency cues, cultural sensitivity, tone, dominant and secondary frames, and instances of retraumatising language or imagery. Coverage in the first 48 hours was predominantly sensational, characterised by urgent music, rapid edits, live crosses, and repeated graphic footage, with minimal de escalatory warnings or help seeking resources. Commercial bulletins relied more heavily on high arousal packages and emotionally charged narratives before facts were confirmed, whereas public broadcasters more consistently signalled uncertainty and issued corrections. Across the two week window, framing shifted from victim centred to broader societal narratives, yet preventive and structural perspectives remained scarce, and explicit resource pathways were largely absent. Overall, trauma informed practices were applied unevenly and least evident in acute reporting, indicating a skills and culture gap in newsrooms. As the first study to integrate a trauma informed framework into broadcast news framing analysis, these findings emphasise the need for universal trauma informed editorial standards and targeted newsroom training to reduce harm and strengthen audience trust.
Details
- Title
- Applying Trauma Informed Principles to News Framing: A Case Study of the 2024 Bondi Junction Westfield Incident
- Authors
- Christina Driver (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine CoastRenee Barnes (Author) - University of the Sunshine CoastMelanie Fawcett (Author) - University of the Sunshine CoastAlain Brunet (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
- Publication details
- Communication Research and Practice, Vol.Advanced access
- Publisher
- Routledge
- DOI
- 10.1080/22041451.2026.2708572
- ISSN
- 2206-3374
- Copyright note
- © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Business and Creative Industries; Work, Live and Play Research Cluster
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991247799202621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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