The Committee to Protect Journalists has put together a useful guide to safety in conflict zones. The comprehensive handbook, produced in association with Gannett Foundation, Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation and CNN, covers everything from protective gear to insurance and training. CPJ’s guide also includes links to sites that offer situation updates. If you’re in the business of covering conflicts – or thinking about covering one – this is a must-read.
Major conflicts involving US troops have been launching points for careers of young journalists over the past eight years. Some are setting out to places like Kabul, Baghdad or Islamabad with little preparation or understanding of the dangers. In addition, some are funding these trips themselves without the financial or logistical support of an organization that can provide proper training, insurance and assistance in case something goes wrong.
I started my career by reporting from conflict zones such as Nagorno-Karabakh, Cambodia and Afghanistan in the 1990s on my own money. I understand the attraction and applaud the drive many have to go out and risk their lives to bring back stories from war zones. It’s important to our profession. But it is also a huge risk that needs preparation and CPJ’s new guide can help.
Covering conflict can be expensive. Here’s an example of the potential cost if one is injured on the battlefield. If a journalist is injured on the battlefield in eastern Afghanistan and lucky enough to be airlifted to Bagram for treatment, the initial cost will start around ten thousand dollars. Costs will rise dramatically depending on the injuries and treatment.
The good news for freelancers is that the cost of accidental death and dismemberment insurance has dropped dramatically over the past couple of years. I just returned from Afghanistan and Pakistan reporting for a new FRONTLINE documentary. We paid about seventeen hundred dollars per person, per month for coverage in Afghanistan. Four years ago, the same insurance cost us nearly twelve thousand dollars. Given the incredible costs, it doesn’t pay to go without coverage.
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