Murrow Symposium > The Murrow Standard: Documenting History – Backpack Journalism and the Holocaust

The Murrow Standard: Documenting History – Backpack Journalism and the Holocaust

Speakers:

  • (Moderator) Alison Boggs, Scholarly Assistant Professor, the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication
  • Raymond Sun: Associate Professor of History, WSU
  • Reno Probert: WSU Backpack Journalism Student
  • Jasmine Hallack: WSU Backpack Journalism Student
  • Lauren Rendahl: WSU Backpack Journalism Student
  • Brooke Bovenkamp: WSU Backpack Journalism Student

Length of Lesson: 90 minutes

  • 10 minute warmup
  • 50 minute video
  • 30 minute discussion
  • Optional Activities:
    • Reporting Ethics Case Study (20 minutes)
    • Reporting Ethics Case Study (20 minutes)

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  • Evaluate the ethical responsibilities of journalists when reporting on historical trauma and genocide.
  • Analyze how primary source reporting, like Edward R. Murrow’s from WWII, sets standards for journalistic integrity.
  • Examine the role of modern student journalists in continuing legacy journalism through immersive, on-the-ground storytelling.
  • Discuss potential biases and challenges in reporting from sites of historical atrocities.
  • Understand how visual and narrative storytelling influences public perception of history.

1. Pre-Video Activity (10 minutes)

What Do We Remember – and Why?

  • Write the following on the board: “How do we remember tragic events from history?”
  • In pairs, students brainstorm examples of how media has shaped their understanding of major historical events (e.g., 9/11, Vietnam War, the Holocaust).
  • Ask for a few volunteers to share examples and whether they think those representations were ethical or biased.

2. Play Video

Examples of Student Reporting from Germany

As discussed in the video, students generated original reporting based upon their visit to the site of the former German Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald. Here are three examples of student reporting picked up by media outlets for student discussion and review:

3. Post-Viewing Discussion Questions

  1. How did the student journalists approach telling stories about WWII concentration camps? What techniques or perspectives stood out to you?
  2. Edward R. Murrow’s original coverage of Buchenwald is cited as a standard for war reporting. What qualities made his work so influential?
  3. What ethical considerations are involved in reporting from sites of historical trauma like Auschwitz or Buchenwald?
  4. How did the student journalists balance emotion with objectivity in their reporting?
  5. Why is it important for new generations of journalists to visit and report on these historical sites?
  6. How does modern “backpack journalism” compare to traditional journalism in terms of storytelling power and limitations?
  7. What kinds of misinformation or misrepresentation could arise when covering historical atrocities—and how can journalists guard against them?
  8. How does first-person video journalism influence the viewer’s perception of truth?
  9. In what ways does this reporting reinforce or challenge your understanding of the Holocaust?
  10. Do you believe there’s a risk of sensationalizing suffering in these kinds of stories? Why or why not?

Optional Activity 1: Reporting Ethics Case Study

  • Present this scenario: “You are reporting from a historical site of genocide. A survivor agrees to an interview but breaks down emotionally halfway through. What do you do?”
  • In small groups, students discuss options and come to a decision based on journalistic ethics.
  • Each group presents their reasoning to the class.

Optional Activity 2 (Activity or homework): Media Ethics Roundtable

  • Present this scenario: “Imagine you have secured an interview with a Holocaust survivor. You conduct the interview, but at the end, the subject asks you not to publish the story because sharing the story was too traumatic for them. Your (news station/newspaper) is waiting for the story and planning on it. What do you do?”
  • In small groups, students discuss options and come to a decision based on journalistic ethics.
  • Each group presents their reasoning to the class

Activity 2 (Optional Extension): Visual Analysis

  • Provide students with 2–3 still images or screenshots from the student journalists’ work.
  • Ask them to analyze the images for composition, emotional tone, and message.
  • Students reflect in writing: “How does this image shape my understanding of the story being told?”

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