If you experience intimidation, interference or worse,

please report it to the Freedom of the Press Foundation tracker [2].

 

 

Articles  |  Funding  |  Resources  |  Events

 

Articles

• "Two Press Freedom Groups Are Joining Forces To Offer Legal Assistance to Journalists Arrested Or Injured Covering New Stories [3]," Nieman Lab, June 8, 2020. NPPA release [4].
• "Covering a Protest? Know Your Rights [5]," Poynter,  May 30, 2020, by Kristen Hare (originally published Nov. 24, 2014).
• "Ethical Reporting on Police Violence and Black-led Resistance: Tips for Journalists [6]," Press On via Medium, May 31, 2020.
• "A (Student) Journalist's Guide to Covering Dissent [7]," SEJ EJ Academy, April 25, 2017, by Beatrice Motamedi.

 

Funding

 

Jun 24, 2020: The U.S. Journalism Emergency Fund [8], offered by the International Women's Media Foundation with support from Craig Newmark Philanthropies, is for staff or freelance journalists – regardless of gender – to access the resources they need to report safely on politics and unrest in the U.S.

Jun 11, 2020: The Fund for Investigative Journalism is offering immediate emergency grants [9] of up to $10,000 for U.S.-based journalists working on investigative stories related to police misconduct. Applications strongly encouraged from journalists of color, ethnic media and local media.

 

Resources

• Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) 24-hour hotline: (800) 336-4243 or hotline@rcfp.org [10]
• Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ): Editors’ Checklist: Preparing for U.S. protest assignments [11], June 8, 2020
• CPJ: Safety Advisory: Covering U.S. protests over police violence [12], May 31, 2020. Safety kit [13]. Assistance [14].
• Dart Center: How to Safely Cover Street Protests [15], June 2, 2020, by Judith Matloff.
• IJNet: Tips for reporting on anti-police violence protests in the U.S. [16], June 1, 2020, by David Maas and Taylor Mulcahey.
• IWMF: Covering Injustice: Safety Tips for Reporting on Protests [17], Jun 3, 2020
• PEN America’s Guide for Combating Protest Disinformation [18], Jun 5, 2020
• RCFP: Tips for covering protests [19], Jun 5, 2020
• RCFP: "Police, Protesters and the Press [20]" (PDF; Fall 2018). Information on your rights and how to avoid arrests while reporting on these events.
• Columbia Journalism Review: Covering protests has become the riskiest job in journalism [21], Fall 2017
• International News Safety Institute: Covering demonstrations and civil disorder [22] 
• Poynter: On photojournalism during a pandemic, including protests [23], Apr 22, 2020

 

2020 Events

 

Sep 16
Journalists in Peril: Creating a safer, equitable future together [24]. Safety for journalists has taken on a renewed sense of importance as newsrooms grapple with the convergence of hostility toward those in the field and systemic racism that pervades even the most revered journalistic institutions. It seems journalists have more reason than ever to be allies for each other as the industry confronts itself while serving conflicted communities. Moderation by Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership and Media Integrity at Loyola University Chicago and the Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership. 11:30 a.m. ET.

Jul 30
Race, Protests and Journalism Ethics [25]. From the Tom Cotton op-ed in the New York Times, to covering protests, to publishing faces of protesters, this SPJ panel of experts will discuss the challenges — and solutions — for editors, reporters, photographers and videographers as they face difficult decisions every day regarding news coverage. Noon ET.

Jul 25
When the Press Badge Doesn't Protect You [26]. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker reports more than 430 aggressions against reporters during these protests. This online program, 2:00-4:00 p.m. ET, will offer firsthand accounts of attacks as well as commentary on such incidents. Confirmed panelists: Independent journalist Maria Trahan Martinez and Kirstin McCudden of the Freedom of the Press Foundation. For updates, follow us at www.facebook.com/HoustonSPJ [27] or sign up for our newsletter by emailing houstonspj@gmail.com [28].

Jun 18
Staying Sane: Managing Threat and Trauma [29]. Fourth of four free webinars focused on journalists' safety and health, from PEN America in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists, International Women's Media Foundation, Freedom of the Press Foundation and Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma.

Jun 17
Press, Protests and the Pandemic: The State of Reporting in the Triad [30]. The Triad of Black Journalists discussed how recent events are being covered in the Piedmont-Triad region of North Carolina, self-care when on the scene, forging relationships, responsible journalism and how to cover the communities that we live in with black and brown skin.

Jun 16
Digital Safety, Surveillance & Privacy [31]. Third of four free webinars focused on journalists' safety and health, from PEN America in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists, International Women's Media Foundation, Freedom of the Press Foundation and Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma.

Jun 12
Ethnic Media Dialogue: Covering Racial Injustice Protests and COVID-19 [32]. The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education hosted a digital dialogue with ethnic media journalists on the impacts of racial prejudice and the pandemic on communities of color.

Jun 12
Protest & Disinformation: Using Media Literacy to Spot It & Stop It [33]. In the past couple of weeks, amid mass demonstrations against police violence, misinformation and disinformation about the protests have been spreading fast online. In response to this influx of false information, PEN America has adapted our media literacy trainings to address these renewed threats to accurate information. Co-sponsored by the EveryLibrary Institute and the Daily Kos Liberation League.

Jun 12
Physical Safety Strategies for Reporters [34]. Second of four free webinars focused on journalists' safety and health, from PEN America in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists, International Women's Media Foundation, Freedom of the Press Foundation and Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. Video recording [35].

Jun 11
Know Your Rights: A Legal Training for Reporters [36]. First of four free webinars focused on journalists' safety and health, from PEN America in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists, International Women's Media Foundation, Freedom of the Press Foundation and Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. Video recording [37].

Jun 10
Covering Unrest: When Journalists of Color Become the Target [38]. In this Center for Health Journalism webinar, we’ll take a deep look at the physical and mental health risks, identify coping strategies, and offer practical tips and suggestions on staying safe while covering two overlapping crises — nationwide protests and COVID-19. Watch the recording [38].

Jun 5
Covering Protests: Journalists Under Attack [39]. The International Center for Journalists hosted a special event on the alarming trend of police targetting journalists covering protests, featuring Linda Tirado, a freelance photojournalist who was blinded in one eye while covering the Minneapolis protests; Branden Hunter, neighborhood reporter for the Detroit Free Press; Maria Salazar-Ferro, emergencies director at CPJ; and Ahmer Khan, winner of the 2020 Human Rights Press Award for his coverage of unrest in Kashmir. Summary and recording [39].

Jun 5
Stories From the Frontlines: Journalists and Protests with CNN's Brian Stelter [40]. CNN Reliable Sources host Brian Stelter spoke with journalists covering the protests over the death of George Floyd. Why have journalists faced such unprecedented harassment, intimidation and detainment during this fast-moving story? How can they protect themselves and get the access they need to keep their communities informed going forward? An SPJ Live Online Session. Video recording [40].

Jun 4
Strategies for Safely Covering Protests [41]. Hosted in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) this webinar was led by journalist safety experts Jean-François Belzil, Alison Baskerville and Colin Pereira, and highlighted strategies to help journalists stay safe while covering protests, including how to prepare for and react to threats against their physical safety. The discussion also provided guidance specifically tailored to covering protests during a pandemic, and situations that women journalists and journalists of color may encounter in the field. Recording and resources [41].