Safety

Threats toward media of any kind, including news media, have escalated across the United States over recent years. Arrests and assaults of journalists have significantly increased. The risks to the safety of journalists reporting from the field are especially elevated. These resources are designed to provide newsroom managers, field journalists and freelancers with the knowledge and tools to stay safe during daily reporting and escalated events including civil unrest.

View RTDNA's SAFE Journalist Training & Resources

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For Your Safety: What to Know about Door Knock Journalism
Posted In: Safety,
Date posted Jun 27

By Ryan Vasquez and JJ GreenRTDNA Safety Committee Members In Kansas City on April 13, 16-year-old Ralph Yarl knocked on the door of what he...

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Covering Hurricanes & Other Natural Disasters
Posted In: Ethics, Leadership, Safety,
Date posted Nov 8

There are few times when journalism is more important than when lives are at risk in your community. The impacts of climate change have made...

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Why Journalists Should Stay Alert After Mar-A-Lago Search
Posted In: Safety,
Date posted Aug 15

On August 12, the day after an armed man tried to breach the FBI field office in Cincinnati, a joint intelligence bulletin warning of violence was...

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As Threats Rise, Learn How to Stay Safe
Posted In: Open Letters, Safety,
Date posted Jun 13

There have been more than 250 mass shootings in the U.S. this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. At least 38 have taken place in the last...

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What to Do When the News is Awful
Posted In: Open Letters, Safety,
Date posted May 25

It is not possible to watch news reports of Tuesday’s mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and dissociate ourselves from what happened. You don’t have to...

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More Than 1 in 5 TV News Directors Say Their Journalists Were Attacked in 2021
Posted In: RTDNA Research, Safety,
Date posted May 5

More than one in five TV news directors reported there had been an attack on their newsroom employees in 2021, the continuation of a troubling...

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DHS Lists ‘Media’ in Recent Terrorism Bulletin; What That Means
Posted In: Advocacy, Safety,
Date posted Feb 8

The Department of Homeland Security issued a National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin on Monday, Feb. 7. We, the media, were mentioned as a...

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The Terrifying Data Showing Reporters Under Attack Around the World
Posted In: Advocacy, Safety,
Date posted Jan 31

The last year may well go down as one of the worst years ever recorded for journalists around the world. And while 2021 was not as bad for...

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RTDNA Statement on Death of Bay Area TV News Security Guard
Posted In: Open Letters, Safety,
Date posted Nov 30

The Radio Television Digital News Association is heartbroken by the tragic and senseless killing of Kevin Nishita, a security guard who was shot...

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What Would You Do if a Suspected Hostage Taker Called Your Newsroom?
Posted In: Leadership, Safety,
Date posted Mar 17

How one station’s experience included a surprising and unusual police response By Dan Shelley RTDNA Executive Director On March 8, 2021,...

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SAFE Training Part 2: Safety Equipment for Civil Unrest
Posted In: Safety,
Date posted Jan 13

The possibility that covering civil unrest situations or other high-risk events during political or social instability could lead to violence is...

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SAFE Training Part 3: Verbal De-Escalation
Posted In: Safety,
Date posted Jan 13

This is a technique that using active listening and a specific communication strategy any journalist can use to help calm an upset person they may...

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