Newsroom safety protocols built for conflict zones and austere environments are often no longer limited to overseas deployments. Many of the most consequential risks confronting journalists now originate at home, from coordinated online harassment to growing threats of arrest and intimidation.
In our most recent AP Forward webinar, Caroline Drees, senior director of field safety at MPR, summed up the shift:
“The threats are evolving — and they’re no longer limited to the field. They follow you home, into your inbox, into your social accounts. And that has real psychological consequences.”
The U.S. now presents a complex risk environment for reporters, especially those covering protests, politics, or identity-sensitive topics. Law enforcement inconsistencies, digital abuse, and identity-based profiling all demand a new, more nuanced safety playbook.
Matt Bohatch of The Washington Post put it simply:
“Know what personal information of yours is online. Then become obsessed with removing it.”
This isn’t just about digital hygiene — it’s about creating a newsroom culture that proactively protects journalists’ well-being on every front: physical, digital, and psychological.
Actionable recommendations
- Reframe the U.S. as a high-risk environment. Do your current safety procedures reflect the new domestic realities?
- Embed identity-aware planning. Risk varies dramatically based on race, gender, citizenship and more — tailor accordingly.
- Treat digital safety like physical safety. Support staff with privacy tools, regular audits, and doxxing response plans.
Questions for leaders
- Does your risk assessment process factor in both actual and perceived threats?
- Are your editors and security teams aligned on who owns safety decisions?
- How is your newsroom preparing staff psychologically for online attacks that may not leave visible signs of harm?
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