Journalism under threat by RPS Director

Posted: 07/05/2015

The International News Safety Institute (INSI) is a charity which supports journalists around the globe. They provide information and training as well as conducting research to assist them in their jobs. RPS supports INSI in its vital work and is proud to have contributed to the Under Threat survey and report by writing an expert essay. Here is the essay in full.

My mantra is still the same as it was 10 years’ ago: if you fail to prepare then you prepare to fail. This is truer than ever before in the rapidly changing, unpredictable places that make up what journalists call the hostile environment.

Fortunately, the safety of journalists is taken much more seriously than it was 10 years’ ago. Better guidance, training and equipment help employers and employees to get the planning right. Employers are better at recognising their duty of care to journalists who are themselves ensuring that they comply with the standards created to protect them.

Hostile environment training

Hostile environment training is more accessible than it used to be. There are more training providers who offer diverse courses at affordable prices. Trainers are better qualified so the quality of courses has improved and is more varied and interesting, using different learning styles. As with 10 years ago, training remains a no brainer if you work in a hostile environment. You don’t want to be in the middle of nowhere with your driver or colleague bleeding out after a car crash, only to realise you don’t know how save their life and wonder why you never found the time to take a medical refresher.

Ballistic Vests

Ballistic vests are by their very nature heavy and cumbersome, but the last decade has seen them being manufactured with more effective materials that weigh far less. They used to cost £2,000, but now you can get a good one for around £800. Gender specific vests are commonplace, with some designed for larger women – something that was only just being thought of 10 years ago.

What hasn’t changed much is the challenge of getting journalists to take them on assignment and wear them when needed. All too often we still hear that journalists are leaving ballistic vests behind because they are “heavy and hot” – not smart when you’re in the middle of Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan or the slums of Rio de Janeiro and bullets and shrapnel start flying.

Technical equipment

Satellite phones used to be only affordable for major media outlets but can now be rented for a cost effective amount. Ten years ago, checking in only when it was possible was perfectly acceptable. Today, staying in constant or frequent touch is expected, even from difficult places. Meanwhile, tracking staff is easier than it has ever been. You can’t stop bad things from happening to your journalists, but you can at least find out where they were when that bad thing happened and start looking. Trackers can hone in on a position to within metres and are fitted with panic buttons to let people at home know you’re in trouble. Smart phones also often feature devices that allow journalists to send off an emergency signal in the event of a problem.

Emergency and crisis management planning

Working in a hostile environment is inherently risky, and having a plan for if something goes wrong is vital. Ten years ago, planning was not as thorough as it is today, and corporate responsibility was not as clearly defined. Risk assessments are more commonplace and filling in documentation before going on assignment is becoming the norm. A communications plan, a risk assessment form and proof of life questions (if you get kidnapped the answers to these question prove that you are alive) are all standard practice at many media organisations – though more work still needs to be done.

Ex-military and journalists working together

I wrote in INSI’s 2012 book No Woman’s Land that “journalists and former military do not make natural bed fellows”, but I have come to realise that they have much in common – living and working in the most dangerous areas around the globe. In the last decade, both sides have begun to work better together thanks to hostile environment training and the realisation by journalists that media safety advisors can be helpful in getting the story, particularly in conflict zones.

The media embeds of the 2003 Iraq war also helped change the landscape. The use of media security and safety advisors is now commonplace, and both sides talk and work together much more. Having someone who knows weapons systems, understands the battlefield and can deal with advanced trauma helps when things go wrong.

Risk – 10 years on

I’ve taken premeditated risks and have found myself in tricky situations, both self-imposed and those created by others. However, I always thought about the repercussions of the risks, had the right equipment and training and the common sense to leave a plan with someone in case I didn’t come back.

In 2012 I said that the least we can do is to be prepared, have plans in place and ensure we can deal with emergencies ourselves in order not to overburden overstretched local systems. Three years on, I would say the same.

Is the world a safer place than it was a decade ago?

No, it’s more complex than ever which means robust and dynamic safety plans are more important than ever if, to quote a colleague, you want to “get the story safely without becoming the story.”

Caroline Neil is a Director of RPS Partnership and has advised INSI on safety and security for the last 15 years. She has provided hostile environment training to journalists since 1997 in South America, Africa, the former Soviet Union and the Middle East.

To read the full survey http://www.newssafety.org/underthreat/

Contact us on [email protected] for any travel advice or training.

Photo: RPS training Congolese journalists in DRC

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