A photographer running away from a burning vehicle – Photo Credit Aziz Ahmed
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CJP), a leading watchdog body, has released a Safety Kit to promote greater safety as working journalists face increasing number of threats.
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 center.
“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,” CPJ Emergencies Director Maria Salazar-Ferro, said in a statement.
“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,” directof of the New York-based body said.
A photojournalist in a gas mask on Mansour Street during protests near the Ministry of Interior in central Cairo in February 2012 Image Credit: Alisdare Hickson/Wikimedia Commons
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.
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.
“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 advisoriesm,” the CPJ said.
