In 2023, 95 Journalists were killed across the globe, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Something they don’t teach you in Journalism school, you will be in danger because of what you do. Preliminary reports from the CPJ also found 79 media workers have died in Gaza since October 7, 2023. During the war another 16 were injured, 3 are missing and 21 arrested.
The threat of being killed or injured while reporting from a war zone is a known risk. However, the risk at home is real, too. Last year, Spectrum News 13 reporter Dylan Lyons was shot and killed while covering a homicide. His photographer, Jesse Walden, was also shot but survived the attack. Another journalist who was killed in the United States, Jeff German of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. German, an investigative reporter, was stabbed to death outside of his home by a Clark County administrator who German reported on.
Safety is not on the forefront of one’s mind when reporting and if you’ve never worked in the field, it may not be on your mind at all. In 2023, at an Investigative Reporters and Editors conference in Orlando, a panel came up with 6 tips to make safety a part of their newsroom:
- Make safety and security a priority and part of newsroom culture.
- Invest in mental health.
- Remember that framing matters.
- Assess reporters’ risk tolerance.
- Stay in communication with reporters in the field.
- Make reporters part of the safety planning process.
The key to remember is risk tolerance. Some reporters thrive while wearing riot gear, but is it practical or necessary? Sometimes, yes, you need to save your thrill-seeking reporter from themself to keep their crew safe. Remember there is more than the person you see in front of the camera. If your reporter is geared up and ready to go but your photographer is not, it’s likely best to air on the side of caution and be distant from the riot going on around you.
Often when covering protests, stations will send two or three photographers because there is safety in numbers. While larger markets and national stations can afford the safety in numbers luxury, smaller markets that don’t have a large headcount might benefit from the tips above.
Another outlet that came out with its own safety guidelines for journalists is Poynter. While its list is specific to covering unrest, there are two key points that should be a part of your everyday practice:
- Practice “situational awareness.”
- Safety first, story second.
Situational awareness is essential. If your head is constantly in your phone (or notepad if you are old school), you do not know the dangers around you. Instincts about safety come with time, as war correspondent Hollie McKay told Barrett News Media this past December, “You have to be very aware of risks and be very aware not to take unnecessary risks.” In the field at home or abroad if you are not aware of your surroundings, it could become dangerous.
We all want to get the story, it’s why we became journalists. Often times we do put the story first, but if there is no you to tell said story, there is no story. Take a step back, relax, access the dangers, and then decide if it is safe to move forward with the story.
On a personal note, I started out as a photographer in New York, as a ‘green’ photog I ‘door knocked’ alone, because I was asked to by an Assignment Editor. Luckily, nothing happened but this is not a safe request to make of someone working in the field. I later learned to say no to dangerous requests like this, but putting myself before the story came with time.
Over the years, I’ve left locations and canceled live shots because a gun was flashed in the vicinity of myself and a reporter. In another incident, which reoccurred a number of times, some with mental illness dropped their pants and started touching themself in the background of a live shot… cut to VO, I’m taking down the live shot and we gotta go.
I’ve seen other photographers punched in the face during their live shots. I even know a truck op who made a citizen’s arrest because someone jumped into the live truck and began putting on his reporter’s makeup. The risk is real and ever-present when working in the field.
For those of you who have never had field experience and view field crews as “difficult” or “frustrating”, please trust them. If they feel unsafe the live shot does not matter. What matters most is the safety of your crew.
Krystina Alarcon Carroll is a news media columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. She has experience in almost every facet of the industry including: digital and print news; live, streamed, and syndicated TV; documentary and film productions. Her prior employers have included NY1 and Fox News Digital and the Law & Crime Network. You can find Krystina on X (formerly twitter) @KrystinaAlaCarr.
