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.
CPJ can provide:
- 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 emergencies@cpj.org. 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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Find Safety Resources
Identify potential dangers, assess how to mitigate risks, and prepare a contingency plan by completing a written risk assessment.
For additional safety information, you can text CPJ’s automated WhatsApp chatbot 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
- The ACOS Alliance – A coalition promoting the Freelance Journalist Safety Principles, of which CPJ was a founding member
- The Journalists in Distress Network (JiD) – A group of 24 international organizations, including CPJ, that provide direct assistance to journalists and media workers
- Pre- assignment preparation
- Post-incident assistance