Summary
Media organizations and journalists face physical and digital risks throughout the world. When developing a risk mitigation plan, security managers should consider a location’s unique context, threat profile, and a traveler’s particular vulnerabilities. All the same, there are general best practices journalists and media organizations can adopt to mitigate physical and information security risks in both high and low-threat environments. Journalists and their home organizations should consider the following security concerns and recommendations to protect themselves and ensure business continuity.
Background
There are multiple scenarios that might raise the risk profile of a journalist or media organization. A crisis or disaster can trigger severe operational continuity challenges for media, and elevate safety threats due to security crackdowns, legal restrictions, or infrastructure failures (including limited access to electricity, currency, or internet). In addition to information sharing challenges and restrictions on freedom of the press that may rapidly materialize during a crisis, journalists may face accelerated digital security and operational risks – particularly surveillance or individual targeting. In many countries around the world, the United States supports independent media entities and information sector-focused civil society organizations. In the event of unrest, personnel working with such organizations may come under threat due to their work or association with the U.S. government.
Some environments are already hostile to individuals working for international news outlets. Journalists can face unique physical and digital security concerns because they are so often targets of state or non-state backed harassment, intimidation, invasions of privacy, and sometimes arbitrary arrest and extrajudicial killing. An organization should make contingency plans for how to respond in the event of deteriorating press freedom or treatment of journalists, particularly prior to any escalation in a crisis. Factors which may impact planning include: evaluating what statements may bring scrutiny by the local government; predicting the government and public’s perceptions of international media or the journalist's identity; clarifying safety and security procedures; scrubbing online data to avoid targeting; and exploring engagement with other partners to initiate lines of communication and support.
U.S. Embassy or Consulate Support to Journalists
A U.S. embassy or consulate’s ability to facilitate departure, or otherwise support U.S. citizens, is limited in a high-threat environment. Consular information in the form of Travel Advisories and Alerts on changing security conditions is the primary means through which U.S. embassies provide actionable information to U.S. citizens overseas and inform U.S. citizens, including journalists of emerging security concerns.
U.S. citizen journalists are eligible to receive the same types of consular assistance as other private U.S. citizens. U.S. citizen journalists often seek similar information during disaster situations (e.g. security/situational updates and departure options). At the same time, U.S. citizen journalists are often the last to leave during a crisis and some may actively seek to travel to the affected location as a crisis unfolds. This presents a challenging balancing act for security managers responsible for the safety of journalists.
U.S. citizens who travel abroad as journalists during a crisis should understand the existing legal and security environment in their destination country. You can find information on the security environment in a country via the traveler-specific page on travel.state.gov and in OSAC’s Country Security Reports.
Foreign Surveillance and Digital Security Threats
Be aware of the potential for foreign surveillance and monitoring. Many countries do not have legal restrictions against technical surveillance. Most foreign security services have various means of screening incoming visitors to identify persons of potential intelligence interest, in addition to possibly utilizing physical and electronic means of monitoring or eavesdropping on journalists. Press should not have the expectation of privacy and should expect information transmitted within hostile environments may be electronically intercepted or retained. Movements can be tracked; electronic devices can be manipulated; and wi-fi networks controlled by security services or otherwise compromised. Journalists should be cognizant of possible country-specific security and legal risks for using censorship circumvention technologies (such as VPNs, satellite phones, etc).
Journalists are also targets of online security and privacy violations. Journalists reporting from emergent conflict or emergency zones face heightened individual digital risks and targeting – principally from impersonation, targeting (spyware and surveillance), and intimidation (e.g. “doxing”) from both state-sponsored and unaffiliated actors. Commercial spyware and surveillance technology pose direct risks to journalists, and media organizations can be vulnerable to complicated phishing, exploitation or malware campaigns against individual journalists or executives. Journalists often work in underfunded organizations against which adversaries may seek to exploit unpatched software or use sophisticated social engineering techniques to directly solicit sensitive information.
Best Practices
Consider the following tips and best practices:
- Understand visa rules/processes in the destination country (including consequences for violating the visa) and whether registration with a local press syndicate or obtaining a national press credential is necessary.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), and if employed by a U.S.-based media organization, become an OSAC Country Chapter member.
- Review journalist security guidance provided by international and non-governmental organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, A Culture of Safety (ACOS) for freelance journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and the International News Safety Institute.
- Carefully consider whether travel is necessary, and be cognizant of any Travel Advisory warnings against travel. Considerations for high-risk travel areas (e.g. increased risk for kidnapping, hostage-taking, theft, and serious injury) are outlined on travel.state.gov. Designate insurance beneficiaries and next-of-kin arrangements, establish a plan for care and custody of children, pets, or properties, and create a proof of life protocol.
- Establish a personal security plan in coordination with your employer or host organization, and obtain insurance to cover medical, evacuation, and unexpected expenses.
- Sanitize your electronic devices and social media, including removing photos, comments or materials that could be considered controversial or provocative. Journalists particularly may want to ensure no sensitive contact, research or personal data are stored digitally, and consider using a “clean” laptop, phone and new email account while traveling.
- Learn relevant country rules about importing security equipment – such as protective vests, GPS trackers, or helmets and satellite phones – which may be prohibited or considered dual-use in some countries.
- Adjust your treatment of information that you are communicating or storing relative to the security of your communications, keeping in mind what is at risk should the information be disclosed. Consider using secure messaging applications, encrypted email, and other methods of encrypting data at rest and in transit for particularly sensitive information. Recognize and adjust accordingly when communicating through open lines of communication or storing information in open access locations.
Digital Resources for Journalists
U.S. media organizations are recommended to consult experts on journalism best practices, digital security, preventing and identifying disinformation, among other issues. The following resources provide expert guidance.
U.S. organizations who believe a U.S. Citizen journalist is at risk should contact the Regional Security Office in the corresponding U.S. Mission. Contact information can be found by logging into OSAC.gov and navigating to the corresponding Country Page.
Additional Information
For more information on the security environment for journalists in a specific country, contact the relevant OSAC regional distro.
The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of State or any affiliated organization(s). Nor have these opinions been approved or sanctioned by these organizations. This product is unclassified based on the definitions in E.O. 13526. OSAC’s full disclaimer and copyright policy is available on our site at OSAC.gov/About/Disclaimer.
