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Journalists covering traumatic events grapple with their profound psychological impact. This strain is even more challenging for diasporic journalists, who report on conflicts from their homelands, amplifying the professional burden and the weight of the work-related trauma. While the literature underscores the critical role of diasporic journalists, limited information exists about their work-related trauma experiences and coping mechanisms, especially in protracted conflicts like the one in Syria. Combining an online survey of 64 Syrian diasporic journalists with in-depth semi-structured interviews, conducted with seventeen participants, this ethnographic research uses a mixed-method approach. The findings suggest the distinctive work-related trauma experiences of the Syrian diasporic journalists, stemming from emotional proximity to conflict, guilt and survivor complex, blurred professional–personal boundaries, the challenge of dual battles and the ongoing nature of the conflict. The work highlights activism and hyper-productivity as coping mechanisms, driven by a sense of responsibility; religion, religious practices and community belonging also emerge as significant coping strategies.