Risk Assessment

Journalists should protect themselves and their sources by keeping up-to-date on the latest digital security news and threats such as hacking, phishing, and surveillance. Journalists should think about the information they are responsible for and what could happen if it falls into the wrong hands, and take measures to defend their accounts, devices, communications, and…

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.

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.