Safety

Hackers are using more sophisticated methods to target journalists, including those who use two-step authentication (2FA).

Despite the French government announcing it will drop a proposed fuel tax rise, the gilets jaunes (yellow jackets) group, truckers, and farming groups have called for more protests, according to The Guardian. Mass demonstrations have taken place across France and Belgium as initial protests over the proposed increase in fuel duty on diesel spread to…

Journalists are frequently at risk of being targeted online for their work. Media workers who cover issues such as the alt-right, politics and contentious elections, as well as movements linked to race or gender are at higher risk of being attacked online.

UPDATED: This safety advisory was updated on February 15, 2019. In October 2018, thousands of migrants travelled as part of a caravan that departed San Pedro Sula in Honduras for the U.S. As the caravan attempted to cross Mexico, the risk increased for any journalists accompanying it.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: See CPJ’s updated safety advisory here https://cpj-preprod.go-vip.net/2019/11/cpj-safety-advisory-journalist-targets-of-pegasus-.php.] In a report published on September 18, Citizen Lab said it had detected Pegasus, a spyware created for mobile devices, in over 45 countries. Pegasus, which transforms a cellphone into a mobile surveillance station, could have been deployed against a range of journalists and civil society…

Reporting on crowd violence or mobs can be dangerous, and every year journalists are injured covering such stories.

Decisions journalists make in the field have direct bearing on their safety and that of others. The risks inherent in covering war, political unrest, and crime can never be eliminated, but careful planning and risk assessment can mitigate the dangers.

The dynamics of a terrorist attack are fluid and threats can materialize quickly–from explosions and gunmen to knife attacks, vehicular attacks, or sieges.

Journalists are as vulnerable to psychological trauma as they are to physical and digital threats. Approaching these threats holistically and preparing accordingly not only enhances your overall safety, but helps to protect your colleagues and sources.

Journalists should be aware of the dangers of digital attacks, including through hacking, phishing, and surveillance, and should take steps to protect themselves, their sources, and their work.