Journalist's Kit - Risks

RISK ASSESSMENT:
BY Apoorva Joshi

This section outlines the risks that foreign reporters might have to face while reporting in the United States. 

RISKS:
  • Illness- this is always a possibility and can include anything from an asthma attack to severe diarrhoea. Adjusting to the weather and food in a new place require time but journalists on a deadline don't always have that liberty. Carrying proper and sufficient medication in your medical kit is an absolute must even if you think you're in the world's richest, and one of the more developed countries. Emergencies never announce their arrival. 
  • Exposure/Exhaustion - for a reporter headed to Florida, it is important to understand the consequences of prolonged exposure to the sun. Being outside, scheduling interviews, and travelling for a majority of your day in a place like Miami would mean you face the risk of being dehydrated, and you might not notice it. In such places, carrying the right kind of sun protection, and importantly, a bottle of drinking water - is of utmost importance. 
  • Misplaced/Delayed/Stolen luggage - this can happen to anyone any where and the USA is no exception. If you checked bags in while flying here, there is every possibility that your bag/s might not get to you in time, or might never get to you[although the latter is highly unlikely- never hurts to be prepared]. It is advisable to carry absolute necessities like small, lighter equipment, extra clothes, socks, a pair of shoes, your identification material, and documents with you in your carry on baggage. Some reporters are masters at packing and travelling light and don't need to check bags in but for those who have no way out, make sure you don't pack your immediate and absolute necessities in your checked bags, unless of course, it's heavy camera equipment or something similar. 
  • Lost/Stolen Phone - Again, something that can happened in any other country but the rules remain the same - back your contacts up, carry an extra /spare phone if you have one, or be prepared to buy a simple one when you can find a store. If you're flying in from say, India, your SIM cards will not work in the United States unless you have paid your cellphone service provider a hefty 'international roaming' fee. A lot of phones in the USA are CDMA phones and do not require SIM cards, except a few AT&T phones. You will also need to have proof of identification on you when you head out to get yourself a new phone. But before embarking on this phone-search, remember to have a back-up copy of your contacts and especially, emergency contacts- like your important sources, government officials, medical assistance, etc. 
  • Attacks on the media - Though not very common, media personnel do get attacked and targeted by rioters, protesters, or just angry civilians, etc. In situations like this - that medical kit will come in more than handy. Leaving it in your car, or hotel room, will do you no good. Be careful not to make yourself seem more like a target than they already think you are. Stay calm, think straight, and use those emergency contact numbers - get help. 
  • Getting stuck between rioters and the police - Recently, a peaceful protest at the University of California at Berkeley was all over the news because police used pepper spray against peaceful student protesters who refused to move. The media is almost always around to cover such clashes but don't forget - this means that the media is at the same site. You could easily be in the wrong place at the wrong time and get caught in situations involving tear gas, pepper spray, or stone throwing. If tear gas is a possibility - position yourself upwind and have a wet towel and water available to cover your face. Cotton scarves can almost always double up as a towel. If you cannot carry a gas mask in certain situations, then the juice of a citrus fruit applied over the affected area helps. 
  • Fire - reporting on anything ranging from a terrorist attack to a burning building can mean having to be close to fire and intense heat. Synthetic fibres, at such a time, are your worst enemy. Cotton clothing wins hands down - but that still isn't asbestos. Being alert and careful always helps. 
  • Firearms - As a reporter, you could be reporting on drug cartels or mobsters and gang members in an extremely shady neighbourhood. If you think there is a chance you could caught in cross fire, wear a bullet proof vest. This is a sensitive judgement call on your part and your editor's part. If there's a way for you to get the story without standing in the line of fire, that's your bet and if frees you from the obvious bulky armour. If it's not a battlefield, you probably don't need to look like a soldier. 
  • Car/Plane/Train crashes - Car accidents are known to be the one thing that kill the most journalists. This is especially true for new places, new people, and new road conditions. Finding your way around a new place could take up extra precious time. Like reporters who choose to let a local get them to their destination, if you use a driver - be vigilant especially on curvy, mountainous and narrow roads with blind turns - and more importantly, during the time of the year when roads are slippery and wet or icy. Heavy snowfall and bad weather can get bring you face to face with some bad road conditions and reduce visibility drastically. 
  • Losing your way - This is common sense but there is a reason it needs to be mentioned here - because most new foreign reporters might not see the need to do this in a developed country. Carry a map. Everywhere. A road map - especially. Even in the USA, you can easily lose your way in rural and rough terrain areas like Nevada, Texas or Montana. This applies to the larger cities too. Cities like New York, Miami, Los Angeles or Chicago are enormous and if you don't know how to find your way around, or where to get on and off the public transport, you're going to be a very frustrated, stranded reporter until you can find people who can point you in the right direction. 
  • Access - The United States has a pretty functional and important 'freedom of the press' policy and you should carry your press card with you considering certain scenes or places are accessible only to the media and at times like those, you don't want to leave your card somewhere else- you could need your Press Identification at the most unexpected times. 
  • Snakebite - If you're reporting in a relatively wild land with a resident wild snake population - you need to know this when you do your research about the place - have a list of the the nearest medical facilities, and go over basic first aid for snakebite. If you're bitten by a non-venomous snake, you will still lose some blood, and it is painful. In case of venomous snakes like Rattlesnakes or coral snakes, it helps to know how to keep the venom from spreading through your body till you get some medical help and anti-venom. A tourniquet won't always help. The whole idea is to tie a crepe bandage [or whatever you can improvise with] in a way that it starts next to the bite and goes up the limb. It needs to be as tight as an ankle bandage is. Keep the bitten limb at a level lower than the heart's level and lie flat- this slows the blood flow, and hence, will slow the venom's flow too. Keep the limb at steady and stiff as you can and avoid moving it, especially at the bandaged area. Before you do all this - call those medical centres and tell them you need anti-venom. If you're capable of identifying certain aspects of how the snake looked, or how long it was, etc - that can help determine which anti-venom you need. Bottom line - don't panic and keep breathing steadily. 


VISA:

Foreign reporters, no matter how short their visit [if on a reporting mission] need a Media [I] Visa. A tourist visa is applicable only for those reporters who intend to come to the USA for a vacation and will not be reporting anything newsworthy. 
The United States follows a 'reciprocity' policy in issuing a Media Visa to reporters from countries that would 'reciprocate' in case an American journalist needed a visa to travel to the concerned country on a reporting assignment too.

According to the U.S. Department of State- "The media (I) visa is a nonimmigrant visa for representatives of the foreign media temporarily traveling to the United States (U.S.), to engage in their profession while having their home office in a foreign country. Media visas are for “representatives of the foreign media,” including members of the press, radio, film or print industries, whose activities are essential to the foreign media function, such as reporters, film crews, editors and persons in similar occupations, under U.S. immigration laws, traveling to the U.S. to engage in their profession. The applicant must be engaging in qualifying activities for a media organization having its home office in a foreign country. The activity must be essentially informational, and generally associated with the news gathering process, reporting on actual current events, to be eligible for the media visa. The consular officer will determine whether or not an activity qualifies for the media visa. Reporting on sports events are usually appropriate for the media visa." 

The process of applying for the visa, required documents, required visa fees, a list of activities that require a temporary visa and not a media visa and information on port of entry, extending your stay, denial of visas, and exceptions, waivers, etc. can be found along with all the above visa information at: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1276.html


KEEPING YOUR SOURCES SAFE:


Although it might not seem like the safety of your sources should rank high on your priority list, in a place like America, that would be a misconception. The problems your sources could get into are certainly different when compared to sources in places where war is waging like Syria, or where they might get into serious trouble for talking to the news media, like people in Afghanistan or Mexico- it is important to respect their privacy, and most importantly, their life. 


Not all situations are life and death but threats to your sources could range from defamation cases filed against them by people or agencies they have spoken about [and if you've used their name and quoted them on it], to personal attacks on them and the fear they might have of losing their job or of being ridiculed and embarrassed in public. 


The idea here is to offer them anonymity only when it is absolutely essential and will be a vital tool in protecting their life or a job [if it's a serious comment or allegation about their company, etc.]. Not letting their name slip out if you have guaranteed them anonymity, is of top notch importance. 


Another way of assuring them that talking to you will not endanger them, is to use a pseudonym for them while quoting them and then to mention as a note in your article that this "xyz" name you've used, is not this person's real name. 


It is the journalist's responsibility to make sure that he/she does not make any unnecessary or false promises to his/her sources. Telling them who you are, what information you are seeking and that what they say, will be considered for publication if it goes into your article, is your obligation to them. 


All rules that qualify as 'journalism ethics' apply to the process of keeping your sources safe, which, if accomplished, means you get to go back to them for more information later. Sources in America are investments of your time, energy and information - just like they are anywhere else in the world. 


PRESS FREEDOM:
The United States' Constitution guarantees freedom of the press under the First Amendment. The text reads:


"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."


'Reporters Without Borders' ranks the USA 47th in the Press Freedom Index. More information on the index is available here: http://en.rsf.org/spip.php?page=classement&id_rubrique=1043

HELP FROM AUTHORITIES:

The most obvious strategy here would be to talk to your country's embassy in the USA and get help if you're having trouble with the authorities. 
For journalists who need help and are facing some sort of threat while on an assignment, you can also look at the following organizations and call them requesting help:



For additional information and resources, the following links will help you find some answers:

Fact Sheet on Foreign Press Credentials: http://www.spj.org/ijcredentials.asp

Resources for International Journalists by the Society of Professional Journalists: http://www.spj.org/ij.asp



Journalist's Toolbox by the Society of Professional Journalists : http://www.journaliststoolbox.org/




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