Journal October 2026 Special DISPUK Release_Full Version - Flipbook - Page 76
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alcohol abuse will be fulfilled. Whether she will be seen as brave or as a bad
mother. Maybe nervous about how the comments section will focus on her
experiences or perhaps – as it happens for many female sources – on something
completely else as her appearance.
The journalist knows all this well. But the hours in the day seem insufficient. And
the hours available are ones you want to spend—as the craftsperson you are and
were hired to be—on making the next story stand out.
That is precisely why I have found that the outsider witnessing letter can serve as
a small but concrete tool. It does not require a new workflow or a sweeping
editorial restructuring. It often takes just ten minutes.
Outsider Witnessing Letters as a Response
Below is an email from me to the widow you met at the beginning of this article.
An email I had to write anyway to send the interview for fact-checking, but
instead of just writing about the practical arrangements, I ended the letter by
using the four categories of outsider witnessing inquiry developed by Michael
White (2007):
Dear Lise,
Thank you for the other day.
Thank you for agreeing to meet with me and share the story of Jens9s
death and the lack of support you were offered. I hope your story will
be read by many and perhaps spark a discussion about the right to a
support group.
I9m sending you the interview here for review. Please let me know if
anything needs to be corrected.
As soon as I receive your approval of the text, I9ll forward it to my
editor, and after that, it9s out of my hands. This means the article
How Journalists Can Tell Stories Without Making Sources More Vulnerable
Journal of Contemporary Narrative Therapy, October 2026 Special Release, p. 71-82
www.journalcnt.com
