When it comes to sensitive subjects, I try to maintain an emotional literacy. Yet as a reporter, sometimes I need to push past where I’d normally be comfortable out of respect for a person’s emotions, to gather a piece of information to either inform my future work or to inform the public. This can be difficult.

In class, Katherine said that “humans are incredibly resilient,” which is true. I do not wish to act as a gatekeeper on what a person will or won’t say, but at the same time know that working with a source requires a real sensitivity to their emotional state, which as of yet I’ve been unable to do with a specific source.

So: I’m faced with needing to better a relationship with a source who has been through suffering, because that person represents the best shot I have at getting information on a subject matter. Yet I don’t know her well, and don’t want to put her in an uncomfortable place regarding her experiences because that could damage our relationship as we move forward.

My current strategy has been to avoid reaching out out of fear of hurting the person but that won’t do. Just need to plan more, I guess.