Lessons on informed consent, safety considerations, and building trust
Permission forms are among the essentials that journalist Elizabeth Shockman brings on reporting assignments.
Shockman, an education reporter at MPR News, often interviews children and families navigating difficult circumstances, with her recent coverage detailing impacts from the surge of immigration raids at Minnesota schools. Her interviews with minors require careful consideration — she must secure guardian consent, discuss potential risks of going on the record, and determine what identifying information to include at publication.
The Institute reached out to Shockman to learn more about how she builds trust with sources while protecting their safety.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
How do you prepare for interviews with children or family members who have experienced trauma like those affected by the immigration raids?
Shockman: My two biggest considerations are for the safety of my sources and obtaining informed consent. I don’t go straight to interviewing the kids. I’m talking to the adults who are in these kids’ lives first — school leaders, parents, guardians, family members, that sort of thing.
When you’re working with minors, having a good system and structure for permission and informed consent is incredibly important. I have a backpack filled with not just my reporting gear, but permission forms with my contact information. It’s good for the people you’re interviewing, but it also protects you as a journalist and the organization that you’re working for. It is in no one’s best interest to get a child’s name and face out there without everybody being okay with it.
If I’m reporting from a school where there aren’t parents present, I let the school know in advance, ask for permission, and then specifically ask the school to communicate with guardians to make sure they are okay with this.
I’ve recently been talking to kids who have been protesting ICE — these are high school students who can answer difficult questions. They’re often really excited to talk to me and will fill out those permission forms in advance. But I’ll give out more forms than I think I will need in my story because some of these kids’ parents are going to say no. Or some students might change their minds. Or they’re not going to return the permission forms.
Over the last couple of weeks, some of those students I’ve interviewed have been in situations where they’re afraid. Some protesters are experiencing retaliation or arrests. So we often think about: Is it appropriate to use a child’s last name in our reporting? Is it appropriate to show their face? In a lot of cases, I have not used kids’ faces or their last names — even when they gave consent and their parents gave consent. Usually we don’t make that unilateral decision for them; we let them choose that. But recently, we’re taking a lot of precautions to keep these kids — and their families — safe.
A recent example that’s come up is the case of Liam Conejo Ramos, the five-year-old who was detained by ICE. That was something where we really relied on the school district initially to decide, is this family okay with us showing a photo of their son? In this case, the answer was a very strong yes.
Many children have never been interviewed by a major news outlet like MPR — let alone about such difficult topics. How do you explain your role as a journalist?
Shockman: Before the interviews, I make sure that they understand exactly who I am, what I’m doing, and the type of story that I’m reporting. I’ll tell them clearly, here’s where your voice and your words will end up. And if their parents or guardians have any questions they can contact me directly.
Sometimes there’s confusion about, is this YouTube or Tiktok? So it’s important to share details about my radio station. Sometimes people are unsure about what will actually end up on the radio, so I’ll clarify that it will likely be shorter clips of the interview, 30 seconds or less.
I let them know that they don’t have to sound like they’re used to being on the TV or radio. They can just talk to me. I tell them that if there’s anything that they want to say differently, they can. It’s really about working with them so that they feel comfortable in the moment.
I also try to send them a link when the story is live so they can see it.
What are your top tips for building trust with minors?
Shockman: I’m always very clear about who I am and that what I’m working on will go online. I also have kids, so I’m used to talking to kids. I love talking to other parents, so a lot of these conversations come naturally. Sometimes — if the situation is appropriate — there can be a little bit of teasing, like, I know you enjoy squishmallow cereal or how are your Pokémon trading cards?
When reporting on stories about abuse, where people have made the decision to come forward, I’ll ask about their social media and mention that people can be very unkind online. I’ll ask them if they have thought through what might happen after they talk to me. I’ll tell them that it is not my job to make these decisions for them, but ask if there is a certain way they would like me to handle their story.
But a lot of times, people have made the decision that they want to talk. It’s very brave of them to speak about their experiences, so I’ll thank them for that. I let them ask me any questions and do my best to answer them.
When people are going through something that’s really difficult, it’s been my experience that sometimes sharing your story feels good. They are being understood and seen. But also, just respect that they know what is going to feel good for them and what they’re comfortable with. Trust that when they say no, that means no, and it’s time to move on to something else.
How do you navigate asking difficult questions and not re-traumatizing your sources?
Shockman: It’s not uncommon for people to cry in interviews; tears don’t make me uncomfortable. The key is being able to read other people, respect them, and hear their story on their time frame.
I always explain in advance that if there’s something that they want to say — or realize that they didn’t say it right the first time and want to say it better — just let me know at any point during the interview. If someone needs a minute, we’ll pause and come back. Or, if they tell me they’re done, that’s fine. I’m always checking in to make sure everyone’s comfortable.
I also ask people at the end of the interview to see if there is something that I haven’t asked that they want me to understand.
Reporting on others’ trauma can take a toll. What practices, newsroom support, or boundaries have helped you avoid burnout or vicarious trauma?
Shockman: What’s been happening in the Twin Cities is really traumatic. I don’t know that I, or anybody who’s here, has fully reckoned with that. Sometimes things are just awful. It’s been helpful to work through this, actively doing something instead of just passively watching or doomscrolling.
Community helps, especially talking to other journalists who are experiencing similar things. We’ve had a lot of community here and other journalists from around the country reaching out and sending food, which is the universal journalist love language.
I feel like self-care is a work in progress for everyone, not just journalists. Hearing what other people are doing, seeing other people’s good work and kindness is very much appreciated.
But always be sure to take a break, and do not feel bad about that. It’s so important to step back and put away the phone. Sometimes just living regular life — doing your laundry, doing your dishes, eating — helps.