It’s dangerous being a reporter, and freelancers and local journalists are particularly vulnerable, which is why CPJ is a founding member of the ACOS Alliance, which stands for ‘A Culture of Safety’ and promotes the Freelance Journalist Safety Principles. News organizations and press groups have signed up to a list of principles designed to improve safety and help journalists and news organizations talk about safety with each other. Although there is no such thing as foolproof security, there are basic steps that news organizations and individual journalists can take to understand risk and improve their chances of protecting themselves and their sources. The videotaped beheadings of journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff spurred us all to do more. This page will guide both new and seasoned journalists to resources for improving physical and digital security.