Security concerns

Many of the most appealing sites for freelance news reporting work also present security issues that require journalists to be vigilant about the political and cultural environment, take appropriate precautions, and be aware of the best practices for staying safe in difficult situations.

“I think the issue of security support for freelance journalists, especially people doing international work right now, is one that is getting more and more attention, sadly as a result of a lot of freelancers and independent journalists getting into trouble and getting arrested,” said freelancer journalist and Common Language Project co-founder Sarah Stuteville (S. Stuteville, personal communication, October 5, 2009). “That’s kind of revealed this issue that well, when these folks aren’t working for a big institution, they don’t have a lot of money and clout behind them. What happens to them, and who looks out for them?”

Stuteville said security is an issue she and her colleagues at Common Language Project have been discussing frequently with other freelancers and independent journalists. In preparation for their recent work in Pakistan, the Common Language team got in touch with the Committee to Protect Journalists. “They’re a really great resource for independent journalists and freelancers,” she said.

The team also had a point person in the United States who knew their schedule and plans, and with whom they checked in regularly. “Beyond that, we really depend on the connections that we make with people, the collaborations with Pakistani people and Pakistani journalists, and we were really lucky to find some great people to work with,” she said.

Freelance journalist Miranda Kennedy admits she didn’t prepare herself much initially regarding security issues when she moved to India to begin her foreign correspondence career. She ended up covering stories in Pakistan a couple of times before she discovered the Rory Peck Trust, which provided grants for security training for freelancers, and got training with their help.

"I don’t think I ever took big risks, I’m not in to risking my life for a story. And I talked to a lot of other journalists who maybe lived in Afghanistan and Pakistan and weren’t just traveling there. It was that community of journalists, I think, that helped me be safe—everybody exchanging ideas for fixers and safe hotels and which area to go and that kind of thing." (M. Kennedy, personal communication, October 26, 2009)

The U.S. Department of State’s Traveler’s Web site, http://travel.state.gov/, offers the government’s country-specific assessment of safety concerns for U.S. citizens abroad, pinpointing areas of conflict or potential conflict, noting recent incidents of crime against foreign citizens, and making recommendations for safe travel and living in the area. It is, however, ideal to cross check the State Department’s assessments with those of people and/or organizations on the ground in your destination country to try to get an up-to-date, local perspective on conditions there.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is one of several organizations that promote press freedom globally, give free advice and country-level assessment of challenges to press freedom, including security concerns affecting journalists, and also offer support to journalists in the field. It was established by a group of foreign correspondents in 1981 with the intent of defending press freedom and journalists worldwide, according to its Web site, http://www.cpj.org/ (Committee to Protect Journalists, n.d.). It tracks reports of infringement of press freedom, and encourages journalists of all nationalities to contact CPJ when they are the victims or witnesses to press freedom violations, and when they need advice regarding assignments in potentially dangerous locations. It will attempt to intervene to aid journalists subject to press freedom violations by notifying news organizations, government officials and human rights groups. It is a membership organization, with annual membership dues that yield an annual report, “Attacks on the Press,” and an e-newsletter. But it also offers volumes of information on press freedom violations and advice on security for journalists for free on its Web site.

Included on the Web site is the special report “On Assignment: Covering Conflicts Safely,” recommended reading even for those not expecting to cover conflict, since especially in “newsworthy” locations, the potential for conflict is often present. Much of the advice also applies to safe operation in non-conflict zones. This guide covers topics like security training and protective gear, first-aid kits, how to dress in combat zones, the importance of knowing the local language or having an interpreter, and recommendations for making sure editors and other colleagues know where you’re supposed to be and when and who to call in an emergency.

Reporters Without Borders is another nonprofit organization focusing on press freedom that offers information and other resources for independent and freelance journalists, as well as those affiliated with mainstream media. The organization has offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, as well as several other Western countries, and has affiliates in several other countries, according to its Web site, http://www.rsf.org/. Like CPJ, it offers country- and region-level press freedom reports and news. It also offers The Practical Guide for Journalists, (Reporters Without Borders, April 17, 2007) for those going to dangerous areas of the world, which includes advice for staying safe, first aid, and listing international norms that protect journalists.

The organization also gives out first aid kits, and loans out a small number of bullet-proof vests, helmets and GPS personal distress beacons, but only out of their Paris headquarters. A 24-hour SOS Press hotline is available for journalists in distress, (33) 1 4777-7414, provided through an agreement with American Express which also allows journalists to go to any local American Express agency to get assistance and get in contact with the organization. Another important service it provides is guidance on the signs and means for addressing psychological damage that sometimes comes with reporting from dangerous areas. The Web site includes a section devoted to this topic, and links to other sources of assistance.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has produced an extensive safety manual, Live News: A Survival Guide for Journalists, (McIntyre, P., 2003) which it makes available for free on its Web site, http://www.ifj.org/. It also offers an international press card which it says is recognized by journalists in 120 countries, and could be a useful credential. It can only be obtained through membership in one of the IFJ union affiliates in your country of origin, which in the United States includes the National Writer’s Union, the Writer’s Guild of America East, the Newspaper Guild – CWA, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

IFJ is the founder of the International News Safety Institute http://www.newssafety.org/, a coalition of news and journalists’ organizations and individuals. Of particular potential use to freelancers is a section of its Web site devoted to insurance that explains the different types that might be important to a foreign correspondent, and lists providers of risk insurance. The site also includes more than one first aid guide and information on medevac providers.

The Rory Peck Trust, http://www.rorypecktrust.org/, supports freelancer safety and provides assistance to freelancers and their families in times of need. Named in honor of a freelance cameraman who was killed while covering the October 1993 coup in Moscow, the trust provides grants for freelancer safety training. It also has produced a report on the status, and dangers, of freelancing in Mexico, and offers an annual awards program for freelance cameramen and women.

Lightstalkers.org is a Web site that describes itself as a “network for unconventional travelers,” (November Eleven, n.d.) but its membership includes many photojournalists, as well as reporters, filmmakers and other professionals who travel the world. The online discussions on topics like credentials and how to get around in some tightly controlled areas could prove invaluable, and could provide helpful connections to other journalists or professionals with similar travel concerns. Visitors can read much of what is on the site without becoming a member, but membership is necessary for interaction. It is free, but is by invitation only. Visitors can request an invitation by sending the site some information about themselves and why they want to join, or they can be recommended for an invite by a current member of the site (whose names and profiles are listed on the site). While membership is free, donations are being sought for maintenance of the site.

Upon arriving in a new country, it is advisable to check in with the embassy of your home country. They may have good advice on living in the area, and providing them with your contact information will allow them to quickly alert you of security concerns as they arise, and also may help pave the way should you run into trouble and need the embassy’s assistance in the future.
Some contacts correspondents should keep handy in case of emergency:

· Committee to Protect Journalists: Tel. 212-465-1004; http://cpj.org/Briefings/2003/safety/mailto:info@cpj.org
· International Committee of the Red Cross: in Geneva, Switzerland, (41) 22-734-6001; emergency after-hours during weekdays, (41) 79 217-3204, and during weekends, (41)79 217-3285. The ICRC hotline via e-mail: http://cpj.org/Briefings/2003/safety/mailto:press.gva@icrc.org.
· Reporters Without Borders 24-hour SOS Presse hotline: (33) 1 4777-7414


Works Cited

Committee to Protect Journalists (2003, February). On assignment: Covering conflicts safely. Retrieved from http://www.cpj.org/reports/2003/02/journalist-safety-guide.php#read

McIntyre, P. (2003) Live news: A survival guide for journalists. Brussels: International Federation of Journalists. Retrieved from http://www.ifj.org/assets/docs/130/082/d325b82-f8ef152.pdf

Reporters Without Borders. (2007, April). The Practical Guide for Journalists. Retrieved from http://www.rsf.org/The-Practical-Guide-for.html