Women journalists trained to navigate threats, safeguard well-being

The instruction was simple: stay alert, watch your surroundings and never assume a familiar route is safe simply because you have travelled it many times before.

For women journalists, whose assignments can take them into volatile environments and expose them to harassment, intimidation and online attacks, safety begins long before they arrive at a reporting location.

It extends beyond the field into their digital lives and the emotional toll of their work.

These realities shaped a safety training programme in Accra, Ghana, which brought together 21 female journalists and media managers from Ghana and Nigeria to learn practical ways to recognise threats, protect themselves and respond to potentially dangerous situations.

Organised by the Public Media Alliance, with support from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s International Programme for the Development of Communication, the programme combined mental health support with practical training in physical safety, digital security, risk assessment and self-defence.

Held under the project, COVID’s Legacy: The Role of African Media in Keeping Women Journalists Safe, the initiative sought to strengthen safeguards for women in the media and build the capacity of media organisations to protect journalists while they carry out their work.

The programme began with a two-day virtual mental health workshop on October 7 and 8, 2026. The sessions focused on stress management, coping strategies, mental well-being and referral pathways for journalists experiencing psychological distress.

Participants were also given a safe space to discuss the challenges they face and share how they manage personal and professional boundaries.

This was followed by a two-day residential practical workshop on October 14 and 15 at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation in Accra.

Trainers from Lazarus Safety Training, a UK-based provider of scenario-led first aid, trauma, medical and safety training, led sessions on physical safety, digital security, threat assessment, trauma-informed practices and responses to potentially dangerous encounters.

The sequence reflected a central message of the programme: protecting journalists requires more than teaching them how to escape an attack. It also involves preparing them to recognise risks, make informed decisions, protect sensitive information and manage the psychological effects of working in difficult conditions.

For women journalists, these risks can take different forms. An assignment may involve navigating a tense public gathering, passing through a security checkpoint or working in an unfamiliar location.

Threats may also come through abusive messages, the exposure of personal information online or unwanted contact from people who exploit details about a journalist’s movements and private life.

Repeated exposure to distressing events, intimidation and threats can also affect journalists’ emotional well-being, making mental health support an important part of professional safety.

A development and partnership officer at PMA, Keiran Turner, explained that the project aimed to assess existing safeguards, identify gaps and strengthen measures to protect women working in the media.

She said safety should not be reduced to protective equipment, but must encompass the decisions journalists make before, during and after assignments.

Women journalists, Turner added, needed practical tools to assess potential dangers, remain composed in challenging situations and protect their physical, digital and mental well-being.

Trust your instincts

During the physical safety sessions, trainers from Lazarus Safety Training took participants through practical measures for recognising threats, navigating checkpoints, maintaining situational awareness and responding to potentially dangerous encounters.

A first-aid instructor with the organisation, Laura Sullivan, urged women journalists to remain vigilant, avoid predictable routines and work in pairs or small teams whenever possible.

She said women in journalism could face additional challenges, including sexual and physical abuse, intimidation and discrimination, which could affect their ability to carry out assignments safely and effectively.

Sullivan explained that the training was intended to help participants identify warning signs, assess threats and make informed decisions before a situation escalated.

“Always be aware of your surroundings. Always try to work in pairs or threes, so you have someone there to back you up. Just make sure that you mix up what you are doing at all times and that you are not following the same pattern every day,” she advised.

The first-aid instructor also urged participants to trust their instincts and leave situations in which they felt unsafe rather than expose themselves to avoidable danger.

Another safety trainer with the organisation, Alistair Hollington, said the sessions covered pre-assignment planning, surveillance awareness, personal security, public-order situations and practical techniques for escaping dangerous encounters.

He led practical demonstrations on how journalists could break free if someone attempted to corner them, grab their arms or seize their bags.

Hollington emphasised that safety planning should begin before a journalist leaves the newsroom, with attention to risk assessments, travel arrangements, communication plans and contingency measures.

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Participants were also introduced to the OODA Loop — Observe, Orient, Decide and Act — a decision-making framework that encourages them to assess their surroundings, interpret what they observe, consider their options and act accordingly.

Hollington explained that by remaining alert to their surroundings and recognising changes that could signal danger, journalists could make more informed decisions when circumstances changed unexpectedly.

He also encouraged participants to speak up when they felt uncomfortable, stressing the importance of identifying potential threats early and taking steps to prevent them from escalating.

Risk of digital footprints

The training also examined the link between online exposure and physical safety, highlighting how personal information shared publicly could create vulnerabilities for journalists.

It was noted that digital threats include harassment, the exposure of private details and attempts to gain access to devices or accounts containing sensitive information.

Such risks, it was emphasised, can follow journalists beyond their assignments, affecting their families, personal relationships and sense of security.

Hollington urged participants to review the personal information about them available online and take steps to secure their devices and sensitive data.

“Regularly review the personal information about yourself. Take steps to secure your devices and sensitive data. Protect information stored on your mobile phones with passcodes,” he cautioned.

He said digital security was closely linked to source protection and professional credibility, particularly for reporters covering sensitive subjects or working in hostile environments.

Hollington warned that a compromised device or exposed contact list could put not only the journalist but also their sources and colleagues at risk.

He encouraged participants to be mindful of their digital footprints and adopt security practices suited to the risks associated with their work.

Mental well-being safety

While the practical sessions focused on preventing and responding to physical and digital threats, the earlier mental health workshop addressed the emotional burden journalists may carry before, during and after assignments.

The October 7 and 8 sessions explored stress management, coping strategies, mental well-being and referral pathways for journalists experiencing psychological distress. Participants were encouraged to discuss their challenges and reflect on how they maintained boundaries between their work and personal lives.

The focus recognised that the effects of threats and traumatic assignments do not necessarily end when journalists leave a scene. But fear, stress and repeated exposure to distressing events can linger, affecting sleep, relationships, concentration and their ability to continue working.

Providing a safe space for journalists to discuss these experiences was therefore an important part of the initiative.

The programme also highlighted the need for appropriate support and referral pathways when personal coping strategies were no longer sufficient.

To help participants apply the lessons in their daily work, they were guided to develop individual safety toolboxes containing checklists, workflows, emergency contacts and other resources they could adapt to their assignments and working environments.

The toolboxes were intended to help journalists prepare for potential risks, incorporate safety checks into their routines and identify the resources they might need when an assignment became dangerous.

The broader objective was to strengthen both individual preparedness and organisational responsibility for the safety of women journalists.

By bringing together self-defence, risk assessment, digital security and mental health support, the programme treated safety as an ongoing process rather than a single intervention.

For women journalists, that process begins with assessing an assignment and planning how to carry it out safely. It continues in the field, where situational awareness and sound decisions can help prevent danger, and online, where protecting personal information can reduce exposure to harassment and other threats.

It also extends beyond assignments, when journalists may need time, support and appropriate resources to deal with their emotional impact.

Ultimately, the initiative sought to equip women journalists with practical skills to navigate the risks associated with their work while encouraging media organisations to strengthen the safeguards and support systems needed to make reporting safer.