Jenni Virtanen, editor at Helsingin Sanomat’s foreign desk, says that most of the paper’s foreign correspondents have attended courses on working in crisis situations arranged by the Red Cross or some other organisation. Correspondents who are likely to be asked to undertake hazardous assignments receive separate training prior to leaving.
– I know in advance who from my desk will be doing gigs in crisis areas. Our journalists are knowledgeable and have experienced a lot.
New journalists joining a foreign desk should always be consulted about their attitude to working in crisis areas. On the other hand, it’s only when it comes to the crunch that you see if someone keeps a cool head in unfamiliar circumstances. No one can judge this in advance.
Generally, journalists adapt to exacting conditions, and no one is expected to go off to a war zone on their first assignment. But some people are by nature better oriented to working in high-risk conditions and go in search of challenging subjects.
Each assignment is evaluated separately with each individual journalist. As a journalist you should first familiarise yourself with the security situation on the ground, interview journalists who’ve possibly been there, check with local contacts about the situation, and go over your itinerary.
On the basis of this review a complete re-evaluation is done by the editorial department, which decides on whether or not to send you on assignment to the area.
– The assessment goes over the dangers and risks in detail and checks how the journalist has taken account of them. In some areas you’re likely be stopped at roadblocks or go through enemy territory. That’s when you need to know how to act.
Continual assessment
Sending journalists on an assignment is ultimately the chief editor’s decision.
There are specific ground rules for foreign gigs. Journalists phone their news desk on a daily basis on a set time. They go over such things as the next day’s plans with their editors. They also consider whether there are any developments that would give grounds for a change of plan. You have to constantly reassess your assignment.
In addition to the journalists’ safety, you must consider the safety of sources and the possible consequences to them of being interviewed. The safety of the interview situation and security of the interview material have also to be taken care of.
– The security of the source is the journalist’s responsibility. Source protection is one of the most important aspects of the journalist’s professional skills.
Journalists operating in difficult conditions have frequently come up with resourceful working methods. Knowhow is the most valuable thing journalists can pass on to their colleagues.
For example, photographers carry a number of memory cards with them and so can keep their journalistic material hidden. The memory card you have in your camera card could contain only shots of landscapes and so if necessary it can be handed over to border authorities.
Sometimes when going out on a story you have to leave all electronic equipment in the hotel room to prevent wiretapping or tracing. It may be necessary to consider who should be present during an interview, and choose a place and time that will arouse the least attention.
In many countries foreign journalists are put under observation, making it necessary to size up where during an assignment to hold interviews. The longer journalists are in a foreign country, the more scope there is to monitor their movements.
Journalists sometimes have material in the worst case could imperil people’s lives. You then have to think carefully about where to store such material and how to get it out of the country without it being accessed by an outsider.
You can arrange contacts with colleagues all over the world via the Host Writer website.