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Below is our analysis of our research findings and a state-by-state guide on relevant rules and regulations that might impact incarcerated people’s rights to do journalism and be compensated for it. Jump to the state-by-state breakdown of relevant laws, rules and regulations.
In some countries, a journalist can be thrown in prison for years for a single offending word or photo. Jailing or killing a journalist removes a vital witness to events and threatens the right of us all to be informed. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) fights for press freedom on a daily basis.
- A handbook for reporters in high-risk environments
- SAFETY GUIDE FOR JOURNALISTS
- Guy Berger
- CHAPTER 1: THE GROWING RISKS FOR JOURNALISTS
- CHAPTER 2: PLANNING AND PREPARATION
- BEFORE LEAVING
- CHAPTER 3: KEEPING SAFE ON ASSIGNMENT
- Choose your fixer, driver and accommodation carefully Avoid routine and do not move around alone Be smart when communicating with your newsdesk and family
- IN A COMBAT ZONE
- TO AVOID MINES
- Walk in existing footprints or tyre tracks
- Be careful and discreet when you move around Take any threats seriously and follow safety procedures Remain on alert throughout your daily routine
- IN THE EVENT OF NATURAL DISASTERS OR EPIDEMICS
- Keep some wipes that you can use to disinfect your hands
- DURING A VIOLENT DEMONSTRATION
- Cover up with several layers of loose-fitting clothes Be aware of local practices regarding relations between the sexes Try to put off your attacker, or appeal to his humanity
- CHAPTER 4: DIGITAL SAFETY
- Rule 1: Watch out for prying eyes.
- Rule 2: Be wary of smartphones.
- Rule 1: Learn how to do without your phone.
- Rule 2: Save your skin as well as your data.
- CHAPTER 6: TREATING PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WOUNDS
- HOW TO FREE THE PATIENT’S AIRWAYS
- HOW TO MOVE SOMEONE INTO THE RECOVERY POSITION
- RECOVERY POSITION
- HOW TO APPLY A COMPRESSION BANDAGE
- SEVERE BLEEDING AND APPLICATION OF A TOURNIQUET
- TÉMOIGNAGES WORKING IN A WAR ZONE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, UNDERSTAND AND BE AWARE OF
- Resolution 2222 (2015) adopted by the UN Security Council on 27 May 2015
- Resolution 69/185 adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 18 December 2014, on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity
- APPENDIX II: BASIC DOCUMENTS ON PRESS FREEDOM
- Article 19
- Article 10 - Freedom of Expression
- Article 13 - Freedom of Thought and Expression
- Article 9
- Preamble
- Declaration of duties
- Declaration of rights
- APPENDIX VI: INSURANCE VIA REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
A handbook for reporters in high-risk environments United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Director of the Division of Freedom of Expression and Media Development, UNESCO
High-risk assignments for journalists mean working in conditions where the likelihood of physical harm (death, injury or serious illness) is significantly higher than normal. These include: Hostile environments: dictatorships, zones of conflict, insurgency or high crime, and also regions of extreme climate or terrain (jungle, polar regions, desert)...
Before setting off on an assignment in a dangerous area, you must be prepared physically, mentally and logistically. This means gathering information, assessing risks, choosing “fixers” and trustworthy contacts, and working out safety and communications procedures for use while you are travelling. 1. LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND RISK ASSESSMENT Find out...
Make sure you are vaccinated, in good health and trained in first aid and safety Assess the risks of the assignment and prepare for the worst Ensure your family is forewarned and safe Draw up a checklist of what you need to take
The circumstances of each reporting assignment are different, but there are a number of general rules that can be applied: Be humble: over-confidence can be dangerous. Approach each assignment as if it is your first. Be modest and respectful, of other people and local customs. Be prepared: anticipate the risks. Find out as much as you can about the...
2. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IN WAR ZONES Getting around Travelling in a combat zone is always very tricky and must be very carefully planned. Before setting off Prepare and check your vehicle (or have it checked) for its general condition and make sure it has a full tank of petrol, repair tools and common spare-parts. Put together a “survival kit” (warm ...
Wear your bullet-proof jacket and helmet and be clearly identified as a journalist Prepare your itinerary carefully before you travel At checkpoints, stay calm and co-operate with the guards If you come under fire, lie on the ground and take cover 3. MINES AND CLUSTER MUNITIONS Mines In many combat zones, journalists may encounter landmines. Some a...
Stick to well-used roads and pathways If you spot a mine, there are bound to be others nearby
4. BOOBY TRAPS, BOMB ATTACKS AND AMBUSHES In recent years, journalists have become preferred targets for kidnapping, bomb attacks and murder. Reporters and photographers should take the greatest care when travelling to dangerous areas where abduction is commonplace. General safety rules: Keep yourself in good physical and mental condition, with ad...
5. NATURAL DISASTERS AND EPIDEMICS Natural disasters Here are some tips from the International News Safety Institute for journalists covering natural disasters: Learn as much as you can about the type of disaster (hurricane, earthquake, tsunami, chemical spill, etc.) you are going to cover. Ensure you have appropriate insurance. Ensure you have con...
Wear suitable clothing and protective gear Avoid direct physical contact and swapping items with others
6. CROWDS, DEMONSTRATIONS AND RIOTS Covering a demonstration Try to work in a group or at least in a pair, so that you can warn each other if things get out of hand. Look for escape routes and plan how to get away in case of necessity. In towns and cities, it may be a good idea to get to know a few shopkeepers and residents beforehand. If the demon...
Take protective gear: helmet, mask, security jacket Check out the location and identify allies, escape routes and shelters
8. IF YOU ARE HELD CAPTIVE OR KIDNAPPED The attitude of a hostage depends on the behaviour of the kidnappers and local conditions, but in most cases, the following advice should help: Don’t panic and try to appear calm. The kidnappers are likely nervous enough themselves. Don’t resist or try to escape unless you’re sure you can. Be patient. Do not ...
There are considerable security risks for a journalist or blogger who uses the Internet, a smartphone or a satellite phone in a war zone or under a repressive regime. The data that you transmit may be used to locate you and thus put you in danger. Your files and your communications may be intercepted, compromising your sources. For this reason, it ...
Avoid working with your back to a window. Put a privacy filter over your screen, which restricts lateral vision and prevents those sitting next to you from seeing what you are looking at. As far as possible, keep your equipment with you. Never leave your laptop in your hotel room when you go down to breakfast, for example. If you are working in an ...
In the field, carry a basic phone with a local prepaid SIM card that has only a few contacts and info: If you enter any contacts, make sure you do so on the SIM card and not in the phone’s memory. It’s easier to destroy a SIM card than a phone, if you have to. To protect your contacts, use nicknames in the directory or even disguise numbers by leav...
Favour face-to-face meetings and make sure you are not followed. Bear in mind that if the meeting has been arranged by phone or email, it may be compromised. Remove the smart card and battery from your phone before setting off, or before meeting a sensitive source. This is the only way to make sure that your phone can’t be used to monitor or locate...
If your main priority is to get your story out, you can film or broadcast live without keeping anything, in case you are arrested, using lives streaming on YouTube or Bambuser (widely used during the Arab Spring). If your main priority is your own safety, and you can wait to send your story, keep your data hidden in different places, or give it to ...
This chapter contains basic first aid instructions that can be administered to someone who has been wounded or injured in an accident, as well as advice on how to detect and deal with psychological trauma, which may affect journalists when they work in areas of conflict or humanitarian emergency. 1. FIRST AID FOR THE WOUNDED AND INJURED The securit...
When someone loses consciousness, the muscles relax and the tongue falls to the back of the throat, blocking the airway. This can be avoided by moving the person’s head back and raising their chin. If necessary, undo their collar, tie or belt. Place one hand on the casualty’s forehead and gently move their head back. At the same time, place the tip...
If the casualty is wearing glasses, take them off. Make sure their legs are straight and side-by-side. If not, move them gently together so that they are in line with the body. Move the arm closest to you so that it is at right angles to their body and bend the elbow, keeping the palm facing upwards. Kneel or assume a tripod position next to the ca...
Drawing by Jean-Pierre Danard, courtesy of the Fédération des Secouristes Français Croix Blanche External bleeding When blood spurts or pours continuously from a wound, direct pressure should be applied to stop the bleeding: If possible, avoid contact with the casualty’s blood. Ask them to put pressure on the wound themselves. Otherwise, press dire...
The bandage used instead of manual pressure must be clean and should completely cover the bleeding wound. The compression bandage should be applied as quickly as possible after manual pressure is removed. The binding must be wide enough to entirely cover the wadding and long enough for at least two turns around the affected limb. The binding should...
Reporters Without Borders, in partnership with April International Canada, offers two insurance plans for journalists of all nationalities while on assignment out of their home country. Since this policy has been available from RSF, hundreds of journalists have benefitted from full medical coverage, including travel to war zones and high-risk count...
Reporters Without Borders, in partnership with April International Canada, offers two insurance plans for journalists of all nationalities while on assignment out of their home country. Since this policy has been available from RSF, hundreds of journalists have benefitted from full medical coverage, including travel to war zones and high-risk count...
Reporters Without Borders, in partnership with April International Canada, offers two insurance plans for journalists of all nationalities while on assignment out of their home country. Since this policy has been available from RSF, hundreds of journalists have benefitted from full medical coverage, including travel to war zones and high-risk count...
Reporters Without Borders, in partnership with April International Canada, offers two insurance plans for journalists of all nationalities while on assignment out of their home country. Since this policy has been available from RSF, hundreds of journalists have benefitted from full medical coverage, including travel to war zones and high-risk count...
Reporters Without Borders, in partnership with April International Canada, offers two insurance plans for journalists of all nationalities while on assignment out of their home country. Since this policy has been available from RSF, hundreds of journalists have benefitted from full medical coverage, including travel to war zones and high-risk count...
Reporters Without Borders, in partnership with April International Canada, offers two insurance plans for journalists of all nationalities while on assignment out of their home country. Since this policy has been available from RSF, hundreds of journalists have benefitted from full medical coverage, including travel to war zones and high-risk count...
Reporters Without Borders, in partnership with April International Canada, offers two insurance plans for journalists of all nationalities while on assignment out of their home country. Since this policy has been available from RSF, hundreds of journalists have benefitted from full medical coverage, including travel to war zones and high-risk count...
Reporters Without Borders, in partnership with April International Canada, offers two insurance plans for journalists of all nationalities while on assignment out of their home country. Since this policy has been available from RSF, hundreds of journalists have benefitted from full medical coverage, including travel to war zones and high-risk count...
Reporters Without Borders, in partnership with April International Canada, offers two insurance plans for journalists of all nationalities while on assignment out of their home country. Since this policy has been available from RSF, hundreds of journalists have benefitted from full medical coverage, including travel to war zones and high-risk count...
Reporters Without Borders, in partnership with April International Canada, offers two insurance plans for journalists of all nationalities while on assignment out of their home country. Since this policy has been available from RSF, hundreds of journalists have benefitted from full medical coverage, including travel to war zones and high-risk count...
Reporters Without Borders, in partnership with April International Canada, offers two insurance plans for journalists of all nationalities while on assignment out of their home country. Since this policy has been available from RSF, hundreds of journalists have benefitted from full medical coverage, including travel to war zones and high-risk count...
Reporters Without Borders, in partnership with April International Canada, offers two insurance plans for journalists of all nationalities while on assignment out of their home country. Since this policy has been available from RSF, hundreds of journalists have benefitted from full medical coverage, including travel to war zones and high-risk count...
Reporters Without Borders, in partnership with April International Canada, offers two insurance plans for journalists of all nationalities while on assignment out of their home country. Since this policy has been available from RSF, hundreds of journalists have benefitted from full medical coverage, including travel to war zones and high-risk count...
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Dec 15, 2020 · Within the United States, no journalists were jailed at the time of CPJ’s prison census, but an unprecedented 110 journalists were arrested or criminally charged in 2020 and around 300 were assaulted, the majority by law enforcement, according to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.
The answer appears to be no...as long as that journalist is willing to go to jail. In 1972, William Farr, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, was sent to jail for 46 days for refusing to identify his confidential sources for an article he wrote about the Charles Manson murder trial.
Dec 9, 2021 · A staggering 488 journalists and media workers, including 60 women, are currently in prison – the highest number since the RSF’s first annual report in 1995. The group found that an additional ...
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Dec 18, 2021 · Societies can and do agree to set limits on freedom of speech with criminal penalties; for example, for child sexual abuse imagery, libel or spreading dangerous misinformation.
