Journalism and reports from hostile environments

It is the nature of Journalism that some reporters will work from dangerous locations as they share insights into the events occurring around the world. Reporting from these locations raises awareness among the public of things happening in other countries. However, the dangers inherent to these locations mean that anyone choosing to travel to or work in these areas should be protected and prepared for the threats they may face.

In recent years, organizations have begun to discourage freelance reporters from working in active war zones. After the tragic death of James Foley in Syria, some news outlets released statements stating they would no longer accept any freelance work from areas “where we ourselves would not venture”.

However, there are still too many organizations that offer no such guarantees and some continue to accept or even encourage work from dangerous locations across the globe. Some key figures in journalism have commented on the lack of preparation among reporters; Terry Anderson, the Associated Press’ Chief Middle East Correspondent during the 1980s who spent 6 years as a hostage in Lebanon, has noted that there is an increasing number of younger individuals not taking the proper precautions. He does not advise them to avoid these dangerous locations but warns that visiting without preparing accordingly is incredibly dangerous.

Of course, it is difficult to generalize when discussing these ‘dangerous locations’, as the threats facing journalists are widespread and are not confined to active war zones. For example, 2015 saw two separate attacks in Paris that ended in tragedy, and while only one of these incidents targeted journalists specifically, both serve as an example of the dangers that can face reporters throughout the world. Unstable political and economic regions can also prove dangerous for journalists. Russia has long had a lack of political freedom and is consistently criticized for its restrictions on free speech. The number of journalists killed in Russia continues to rise and at least 34 journalists have been killed in Russia since 2000 compared to China and the USA, which witnessed 2 and 3 journalists killed in the same period respectively. This is a lot.

One of the main threats to journalists comes from organized crime, particularly where it has infected the political structure and bred corruption. Areas that rank highly for crime and organized crime also suffer from high rates of killings among journalists. Latin America and the Indian Subcontinent have continued to see an increase in reporters killed with almost 50% of global attacks occurring in these locations.

Per country, Iraq and Syria are responsible for the most deaths among journalists in the past 20 years although they are not always intentional. Crossfire is the biggest danger to those operating in hostile environments and has caused the deaths of 210 journalists in the last 20 years, 45% of which were in the last 5 years. Unfortunately, journalists are increasingly targeted by hostile parties for their strategic value.

Protecting yourself in these environments is a formidable task, and for some, it may be preferable to simply not travel to these areas. However, it is difficult to know exactly where a threat may come from. Moreover, it is unreasonable to expect journalists not to work from these places as the work they do is invaluable to society. Through proper preparation and awareness of the dangers posed, individuals can take steps to keep themselves safe. One simple step is to invest in a bulletproof vest, which can protect without too much effort. You may have seen images of war correspondents in vests emblazoned with ‘PRESS’, these journalists usually wear overt body armor. However, it has been argued they should consider a covert bullet-resistant vest.