Journalism Educators and Students
Risk awareness and mitigation should be an integral part of every journalism program, just as safety issues are incorporated into other professional and trade education programs. It is no more ethical to minimize the occupational hazards of journalism than it is do the same in other frontline communities like healthcare, law enforcement or the military.
Making room for safety and self-care training outside the main curriculum is one option that the Forum offers by way of risk awareness workshops, but that can send a false message about the rising importance of these issues in recent years, for domestic reporters as well as foreign correspondents.
We appreciate that every journalism program has its own challenges and restraints. The Forum can provide ways to integrate material into existing courses and provide support materials free of charge. We also curate the most up-to-date information about innovative approaches some journalism programs are currently using for both classroom use and self-care across multiple platforms.
The Forum can construct and deliver - virtually, or in person when circumstances and distance permit - modules that can be incorporated into classes of various kinds. Topics include physical safety risk assessment; journalists’ emotional wellbeing; reporting on accidents, natural disasters, demonstrations and civil disobedience; protection of sources; interviewing and dealing with vulnerable people; and more. We can also provide modules on ethical reporting of stories involving mental health issues, built around our journalist-to-journalist guides to mental health reporting, Mindset and En-Tête.
Contact us anytime at info@journalismforum.ca to discuss in further detail.
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James W. Foley Journalism Safety Modules: Lesson for Undergraduate Journalism and Communications Programs - developed in collaboration with the Marquette University Diederich College of Communication
Modules includes: 1) Introduction to Journalism Safety; 2) Developing Safety Habits; 3) Running a Newsroom: Creating a Culture of Safety; 4) On Assignment - Mitigating Risk; 5) Photojournalism - Staying Safe; 6) Reporting on - and during - the Covid-19 Pandemic; 7) Foreign Conflicts - Staying Safe Abroad; 8) Wrongful Detention, Kidnapping, and Hotage Survival; 9) Understanding Journalists’ Rights; 10) Diversity In The Newsroom & the Targeting of Female and Ministry Journalists; 11) Self-Care - Addressing Emotional Trauma; 12) Dealing With Online Harassment and Cyberbullying; 13) Protecting Sources - Emotional Trauma; 14) Working With Hostile Sources; 15) Digital Security; and 16) Covering Natural Disasters and Weather-Related Events. Also: Risk Assessment for Journalists; and Risk Assessment for Newsroom Managers.
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U.S. Journalism School Digital Security Curriculum, a resource to assist J-school instructors in bringing digital security know-how to their program.
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The Student Journalism Wellness Project: A Guide to Building Healthier Newsrooms and Journalists
Created by Karan Nevatia (@nevatia_karan) - Natalie Bettendorf (@natalierbett) – and Eileen Toh (@eileenstoh)
Overview of the project featured in Poynter.org: “USC’s Student Journalism Wellness Project offers a new resource for emerging reporters: The project includes student testimonies, advice, and resources on mental health and burnout”
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Student-produced guide: "Coping with Crisis: Journalists on the Frontline"
“How do we report on unthinkable tragedies while still learning the basics of journalism? How do we prepare ourselves for the pressures we may face? How can we take care of ourselves?” - guide by students at the School of Communications and Journalism, Stony Brook University, New York