CPJ Produces Safety Kit For Journalists Covering Risky Assignments

NEW YORK, Sept 10 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Sep, 2018 ) :The Committee to Protect Journalists (CJP), a New York-based watchdog body, Monday released a safety kit to promote greater journalist safety as threats incease.

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." 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 advisories," according to a press release.