Journalist safety training isn’t limited to war reporters

Today, as we head toward another general election, we see a disturbing decline in journalist safety in the United States. Democracy can only thrive when there is a free press.

Members of our community, including newsroom leaders from the International Women’s Media Foundation’s newsroom safety cohort, have already experienced harassment, legal intimidation, and direct threats from local law enforcement. In a pre-training survey for one of our U.S.-based HEFATs for women and nonbinary journalists, 53% had received some sort of threat, including doxing and death threats, as a result of their coverage. After the deadly attack on the Capital Gazette in 2018, the murder of investigative reporter Jeff German in 2022, and the fatal shooting of Dylan Lyons in 2023, the need for safety training is not limited to war reporters. Gun violence is an ever-present threat in the United States. Journalists are arrested covering the border. City council or school board meetings can quickly escalate to an active shooter scenario, and political rallies have the potential to become a hostile environment for journalists.

Journalists need to know how to protect themselves in the field and online. A recent UNESCO/ICFJ report showed that 20% of physical attacks on the press are seeded on the internet. On top of this, journalists of color, journalists from the LGBTQI+ community, journalists from ethnic and religious minorities, and women and nonbinary journalists are disproportionately targeted online. Some of these attacks are encouraged by public officials. In a research study conducted by the IWMF and Trollbusters, one-third of 600 women journalists surveyed said they had considered leaving the p rofession because of online threats they experienced. To lose these diverse perspectives in our media would be a critical threat to our democracy.

The impact of online and offline violence on journalists has serious consequences for them, their work, and press freedom. We have seen the demand for mental health services increase significantly since 2020, from journalists suffering ongoing trauma from covering protests, police violence, and injustice in their communities to the lack of support from newsroom leadership following targeted attacks and doxing. In the first nine months of 2023, 60% of the emergency fund requests approved by the IWMF have been for mental healthcare. Forty-two percent of those who received this support reached out to us because they experienced offline and online violence. This difficult work takes a toll on journalists’ mental health.

Small to mid-sized newsrooms do not have the resources or the capacity to respond to this wide variety of threats. What steps can newsrooms take to support their most vulnerable journalists, including freelancers? Looking ahead to an election year and taking the lessons learned from 2020, we are obligated to better prepare journalists.

In 2024, the IWMF is stepping up to the plate to provide wrap-around support for journalists and newsrooms. As part of the Newsroom Safety Across America initiative, the IWMF will travel around the country to offer safety trainings tailored to local journalists’ needs, starting in battleground states. We anchor our safety philosophy around a sustainable, holistic, identity-informed, and individualized approach, which considers not only the journalist’s physical well-being on the ground but their digital safety and mental health as well.

Journalists are seeking ways to work with other newsrooms, learn from peers, and be part of a trusted network for their protection. Newsrooms want to be prepared to combat targeted attacks from government officials and online fascist groups. Our comprehensive approach includes prevention and mitigation measures localized to the threats faced by journalists in each state and guidance for newsrooms to develop and implement safety policies to respond to safety challenges. If a threat materializes, the IWMF will provide additional support, emergency assistance, and one-on-one safety consultations.

Democracy will only survive if we actively protect a diversity of voices and our right to a free press. This violence toward journalists has serious consequences for freedom of expression and journalists’ ability to do their jobs in the upcoming general election. As the leading provider of identity-informed and holistic safety training in the U.S. and globally, the IWMF is committed to keeping journalists safe and sharing the lessons we have learned with the journalism community in 2024. We welcome local news consortiums and journalism associations interested in participating in this safety initiative to join us; we cannot do this alone.