NEW YORK: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Monday 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.

“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 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.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2018