CPJ produces safety kit for journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists has released a Safety Kit to promote greater journalist safety. The kit, produced by CPJ's Emergencies Response Team, includes safety notes to help journalists prepare for assignments, first aid videos, an updated Journalist Security Guide, and an expanded resource centre.
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“Journalists today are facing rapidly evolving threats, whether in the digital sphere or covering dangerous assignments on the ground. Freelancers and local journalists, who lack the support that a large media outlet might provide, are particularly vulnerable,” said CPJ emergencies director María Salazar-Ferro. “We want journalists to use these tools to feel more secure and be better prepared, allowing them to do their jobs and report the news as safely as possible.”
The Journalist Security Guide has expanded information on technological security for journalists. The kit features accessible and easy-to-share Safety Notes to help reporters prepare for assignments, including how to prepare risk assessments and how to cover dangerous assignments including civil disobedience, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters, as well as information and tools on digital and psychological safety.
Emergencies
Additional tools are available in the Resource Center to help prepare for or respond to an emergency situation. Resources range from information on where to buy insurance or rent personal protective equipment, how to seek trauma support or request equipment replacement.
A series of first aid videos to enhance medical preparedness for journalists is also available. The short videos, which can be downloaded, are a supplement to training and provide basic first aid knowledge for journalists encountering serious injuries in places where access to professional medical personnel is limited or unavailable.
The Safety Kit is part of the Emergencies Response Team’s work globally to help improve journalists’ safety awareness and preparedness for assignments. The work of the team is made possible, in part, through the generous support of the MacArthur Foundation, VICE Media, Steven and Amy Lipin, and David Remnick and Esther Fein.
CPJ’s Safety Kit is available via https://cpj.org/safety-kit. Journalists interested in receiving CPJ’s security alerts can sign up for safety advisories.
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