Journalist Safety and Emergencies

CPJ provides short-term, emergency support to working journalists and media workers following an incident related to their journalistic work. Support includes financial and non-financial assistance.
  • Basic living support
  • Medical support
  • Psychosocial support
  • Emergency relocation support
  • Exile support
  • Legal support
  • Prison support
  • Post-prison support
  • Safety consultations

Non-financial assistance can include letters of support, referrals to partner organizations, information about fellowship and residency opportunities, referrals to mental health specialists, and physical and digital safety consultations.

Financial assistance may be awarded to eligible journalists who have recently faced a serious incident and whose safety is compromised.

Funds may cover relocation expenses, medical costs, mental health support, legal help, and other crucial needs. CPJ cannot fund visa applications, immigration or asylum claims, education, or general medical needs unrelated to an act of journalism.

To seek emergency assistance or safety advice, please email us at [email protected]. You will be asked to provide information about your circumstances, needs, and work as a journalist. All information is confidential but may be shared with a small network of trusted partners for vetting purposes. Due to the high volume of requests, we are unable to respond to everyone. CPJ gives priority to emergency situations.

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For additional safety information, you can text CPJ’s automated chatbot on WhatsApp at +1 206 590 6191.


What we do/How we work

Comprehensive safety information

We publish thematic and situation or assignment-specific information to help journalists mitigate risk, and stay safe on the job

Workshops and consultations

Tailored engagement with individual journalists or newsrooms with specific digital or physical safety questions and concerns

Journalist Assistance

Where advocacy or reporting are insufficient, CPJ provides emergency support to journalists in distress around the globe. Assistance can take two forms;

  • Financial – CPJ provides emergency financial support to journalists in distress on a case-by-case basis through The Gene Roberts Fund for Emergency Assistance
  • Non-financial CPJ can provide journalists with non-financial assistance, often in the form of letters of support, Referrals to partners organizations; Flagging fellowship opportunities; trauma referrals; safety consultations, etc.

Partners, Tools, and Resources

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