2005 Dart Center Ochberg Fellow Mike Walter's documentary, "Breaking News, Breaking Down," was premiered at the Washington International Film Festival in April.
This film was borne from the Dart Society's 2007 project, Target: New Orleans, which linked fellows with journalists in New Orleans to provide peer support in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
"Breaking News, Breaking Down" weaves together the story of the society's mission in New Orleans with Walter's own experiences covering trauma -- including witnessing the September 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon -- and also that of New Orleans Times Picayune photojournalist John McCusker, whose high-profile breakdown made him the poster child for journalists suffering from the horrors of their work.
The film has also been accepted for screening at the Toronto Film Festival, and discussions are under way for screenings in London and Melbourne.
- Keywords:
- Breaking Down
- Breaking News
- McCusker
- Walter
Deirdre Stoelzle Graves
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Dart Society Director Deirdre Stoelzle Graves is a writer and painter who lives on an isolated cattle ranch in Wyoming. As a crime reporter and city editor at the Casper Star-Tribune, her coverage focused on social justice and interpersonal conflict. She traveled twice to Rwanda on Dart-related missions.
About The Dart Society
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The Dart Society is a nonprofit organization of journalists who advance the compassionate and ethical coverage of trauma, conflict and social injustice. Members of the society are Dart Center Ochberg Fellows and winners of the Dart and Mimi awards.