Sometimes you just have to laugh

Part of being a reporter is having to deal with some pretty unpleasant things.

Sure, you get your fair share of coffee mornings, community events and just sometimes a great human interest story which gives you a nice warm glow.

But a lot of the time you have to deal with newsworthy things that, given the choice, you probably wouldn't want know about.

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You may have to attend the scene of a traffic accident, go to an inquest which reveals an incident in pretty graphic detail or be confronted with something which upsets you.

I sometimes get asked how journalists deal with it.

I think for a start, we wouldn't get into this profession if we didn't know we would see some disturbing things from time to time. Those that couldn't deal with it probably aren't in it anymore. And there are professions which have to see a heck of a lot worse too.

I find reporters deal with it in different ways. Some become introverted. Others (and I probably fall into this category mostly) need to talk about it with a colleague. And a few will crack jokes. I know I've done that a few times myself too.

Yes, you heard me. Crack jokes.

Sounds awful doesn't it? I don't necessarily mean anything really offensive and certainly not in the presence of any of the protagonists from the story.

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But some people will make a stupid pun or an irreverent comment on what has happened. And yeah, it gets a laugh.

The thing is, it's not done to get colleagues grinning or cause offence. It happens because it allows people to release the tension they're feeling and get on with the job.

I had a lecturer at law school who use to give seminars on negligence cases. These cases could be pretty unpleasant. We're talking fires, explosions, loss of limbs, emotional trauma etc.

Before tackling any subject the lecturer would tell the assembled students: "Please excuse me if I make daft jokes when I'm reading this. It's not that I don't care, but if I don't laugh I'll probably end up crying and then I can't do my job."

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And he was exactly right. As he revealed the horrifying details of a case, he would often make the sort of pun which would make a Carry On actor wince.

It was his defence mechanism and it worked for him.

It's not unusual to find doctors, lawyers and emergency service personnel who have a line in graveyard humour. It's not that they don't care. They just have a job (a far more important job than a journalist I might add) to do and can't become emotionally involved. At least not until it's all over.

And I guess that's how it works for some reporters.