Story highlights
WDBJ journalists Alison Parker and Adam Ward were killed August 26 while live on air
Scholarships have been established to honor Parker
Journalists use the hashtag #WeStandWith WDBJ, while supporters use #WDBJ or #PrayforWDBJ
A reporter and photographer at CNN Affiliate WDBJ-TV in Virginia were shot and killed during a live broadcast by former WDBJ reporter Vester Flanagan II. An outpouring of support and remembrance has flooded the social stratosphere in memory of Alison Parker and Adam Ward. Here is how you can share your support and cope with this tragedy.
Scholarships to honor their lives
Alison Parker graduated from Patrick Henry Community College and James Madison University.
Scholarships at both schools have been established.
Checks for the Alison Parker Memorial Scholarship at James Madison University Scholarship can be made payable to the JMU Foundation and sent to JMU Advancement Gifts and Records, MSC 3603, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 ATTN: Alison Parker Memorial Scholarship
The Alison Bailey Parker Memorial Scholarship at Patrick Henry Community College will be awarded on an annual basis to a PHCC student who enters the Media Design and Production program.
Donations for the Alison Bailey Parker Memorial Scholarship can be made online or by cash or check to the Patrick Henry Community College Foundation, 645 Patriot Avenue, Martinsville, VA 24112. For additional information, call (276) 656-0250.
Adam Ward graduated from both Salem High School and Virginia Tech. The Salem Educational Foundation and Alumni Association have established a scholarship in memory of Ward, a 2007 graduate. The Virginia Tech Foundation, Inc. also has set up a scholarship fund. To donate be sure to use the “enter your own” designation option to write “In memory of Adam Ward.”
Social Solidarity
Several memorials were held Wednesday night for WDBJ employees, and family and close friends have turned to Facebook and Twitter to share their grief.
Journalists from across the country have turned to social media to express their support and grief using hashtags #WDBJ and #PrayForWDBJ and #WeStandWithWDBJ
WDBJ reporter Nadie Maeser called on the public to honor Parker and Ward by wearing their favorite colors Turquoise and Maroon.
Some are using tweets to encourage users to remember the victims instead of sharing the footage of what Flanagan has done.
Coping with tragedy
“You send people into war zones and into dangerous situations, into riots and you worry that they’re going to get hurt. You send somebody out to do a story on tourism, and this – how can you ever expect something like this to happen? You use all the words, we are devastated, senseless, all the catchwords, but they all apply,” WDBJ General Manager Jeffrey Marks told CNN “Legal View” anchor Ashleigh Banfield.
The American Psychological Association said many struggle not only to understand how something happened, but also with the why, which causes a strong emotional impact. The association has tips and resources to help manage the stress related to a shooting.
