Journalist Safety Urgent Care Helpline
A collaborative pilot project that coordinated safety support for U.S.-based journalists and news outlets under attack for their work, which ran 11/5/2024 – 4/30/2025.
Helpline Impact and Reach
48 news outlets with 4-50+ staff each strengthened their safety infrastructure
220+ journalists received holistic safety support, including consults, workshops, & services
240+ services were provided, from digital and physical security audits & legal support to psychological first aid & risk assessments.
Safety helpline FAQs:
What was the Journalist Safety Urgent Care Helpline?
A collaboration among 6 organizations and 4 safety experts, the Helpline was a pilot project that coordinated proactive and reactive safety support for U.S.-based journalists and news outlets navigating digital, physical, psychosocial, and legal concerns—from preparing for risky assignments to dealing with doxing, death threats, physical violence, and legal threats. The Helpline launched on election day in 2024 (11/5/24) and ran through the first 100 Days of the Trump administration (4/30/25).
What impact did the Helpline have over the six months it ran?
- Strengthened safety infrastructure for 48 news outlets with 4-50+ staff each: helped each outlet identify their safety risks, concerns, and needs and connected them to multiple partners to strengthen their in-house infrastructure.
- Provided in-depth support for 19 individual journalists at high risk: helped each reporter assess their safety risks, concerns, and needs and connected them to multiple partners for in-depth safety services.
- Provided emergency assistance to 40+ journalists after the gutting of the United States Agency for Global Media, including Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.
- Provided group safety support for 190+ journalists: delivered tailored safety workshops, consults, and resources.
- Provided 240+ distinct safety services, from outlet-wide digital and physical security audits & support with legal threats to psychological first aid & risk assessments.
What made the Helpline unique and innovative?
- Coordinated: served as triage and traffic control among 6 organizations experienced in providing safety support.
- Holistic: addressed intertwined nature of digital, physical, legal, and psychosocial safety needs.
- Trauma-Informed: centralized and streamlined intake process to reduce overwhelm and retraumatization.
- Professional Expertise: staffed by diverse, professional safety experts trained to identify and address safety needs in real time.
- Equity-Focused: prioritized freelancers, journalists with marginalized or underrepresented identities, and local, digital native, and/or nonprofit news outlets.
- Field-Strengthening: identified gaps in journalist safety service provision to strengthen the efficacy and capacity of the field.
Who was behind the Helpline?
The Helpline was incubated as a pilot project of the Knight Election Hub and PEN America and funded by the Knight Foundation. Four safety experts built and ran the Helpline: Jeje Mohamed, Yemile Bucay, Ramy Ghaly, and Viktorya Vilk. Six partner organizations provided safety services and coordination: Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Women’s Media Foundation, Freedom of the Press Foundation, Aegis Safety Alliance, PEN America, and Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
Project Co-Leads
Project Partners
Safety Resources For Journalists & News Outlets
Emergency Support
General Resources
Legal Safety Resources
- RCFP Election Legal Guide
- CPJ Guide to legal rights in the U.S.
- RCFP Police, Protestors & the Press Guide
- RCFP Reporter’s Recording Guide
- RCFP Tips for Covering Protests
- RCFP Anti-SLAPP Guide
- RCFP Press Rights at Protests:
- FAW A Citizen’s Guide to Recording the Police
- NPPA Practical Advice about Covering High Profile News Stories
- PEN America’s Online Field Harassment Manual: Legal Considerations
Digital Safety Resources
- Combatting Online Abuse: Practical Tips for Journalists
- PEN America’s Field Manual against Online Harassment
- PEN America, IWMF, and ONA’s Digital Safety Snacks
- IWMF Guide to Protecting Journalists Against Online Violence
- JournalismSOS – Aegis Safety Alliance Digital Security Safety Briefing
- Coalition Against Online Violence Response Hub
- Consumer Reports’ Security Planner
- 1password: Free password manager for journalists
- Free Yubico security keys for multifactor authentication
- Permission Slip (free)
Physical Safety Resources
- CPJ guide to situational awareness for journalists
- CPJ Note on Physical and Digital safety: Civil Disorder
- Risk Assessment and Physical Safety: What every journalist should know
- IWMF top tips for covering protests in a contentious election year
- JournalismSOS – Aegis Safety Alliance Civil Unrest Safety Briefing
Psychological Safety Resources
- PEN America’s Online Harassment Field Manual, Self-Care
- IWMF Mental Health Guide for Journalists Facing Online Violence
- Right to Be: Self-Care for People Experiencing Online Harassment
- Without my Consent: guide on How to Get Help for What I’m Feeling
- The Holistic Security Manual
- Jace Harr: Interactive Self Care Guide
- IREX: Tip Sheet for Psychological Self Care for Journalists
- JournalismSOS – Aegis Safety Alliance Trauma-informed Reporting Safety Briefing