Stay prepared, stay alive

By Julius D. Mariveles

KEVLAR helmets and bullet-proof vests may not be the ultimate guarantees to keep a journalist alive.

And safety is not only the responsibility of the individual reporter, it should also be the concern of editors and the news organisations they are working for.

“Our job is really risky; we should deal with safety on a daily basis,” Drew Sullivan, editor of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project told journalists during a discussion on physical threats, one of the breakout sessions of Uncovering Asia: The First Asian Investigative Journalism Conference.

OCCRP does reporting on organised crime, terrorism, and official corruption in Eastern Europe.

Sullivan said there have been studies showing that 70 percent or seven out of 10 reporters were killed because of the stories they are working on. Seventy percent of those killed, however, were never warned.

Drew Sullivan during the discussion on safety for journalists in the ongoing Uncovering Asia conference #IJAsia14 pic.twitter.com/4hG1YjPnNS

— PCIJ (@PCIJdotOrg) November 23, 2014

“They did not get any warning that something was about to happen,” he pointed out.

While journalists are “soft targets” or more vulnerable to attacks, preparations can be made to reduce the risks. He also said most of the fatalities told friends they were being followed before their murders.

Among the tips that Sullivan gave were:

• No one knows more about crime than the criminals. Talk to those who are in jail so you can know what you’re dealing with, especially those who belong to organised crime groups.
• Most journalists were killed either at home or the office. Be aware of it.
• Know the modus operandi of people who might be out to get you.
• Be aware of what is happening in your neighbourhood. Do you know who lives across your place? Have you seen motorcycles in your area?
• Watch out for the so-called “social engineering.” Has anyone been calling your office looking for you?
• Switch up reporters doing a story.
• Change your routine.
• Do counter-surveillance on yourself.

There is safety in organizing, NUJP’s Rowena Paraan says | Photo by Cong. B. Corrales

Rowena Paraan, national chairperson of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, on the other hand, said newsrooms should provide enough resources for journalists to keep them safe. There should also be safety protocols that must be followed in every news organisation.

She added that organising is also one way for journalists to protect themselves and for them to respond faster in case of threats.

Sullivan, however, reminded journalists that “no story is worth your life” as he added that if journalists want to protect themselves, they must not forget to do “good journalism.”

“Get every single fact accurate,” he said.