As well as responding to threats against journalists and media workers, MFRR seeks to prevent future attacks on media freedom by offering a range of capacity-building and training courses to support journalists and offer them ways to protect themselves against threats before they happen. The Coordination of the training courses is the responsibility of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ).
Training Activities
The safety training programme is open to any countries within the EC as well as candidate countries and the eastern neighbourhood.
The EFJ organises 1, 2 or 3-day safety workshops to raise journalists’ awareness about the dangers they face in the field as well as how they should better protect themselves. The safety programme is organised in such a manner that EFJ and its consortium partners can offer 4 different training within this programme:
- Hostile Environment Training
The workshop is intended for war reporters and those covering the conflicts in the regions.
The Training covers the following topics: Risk Assessment, Planning for an Assignment, Ballistic Awareness (Small & Heavy Weapons), Air Attacks, Travel Safety, Personal Safety).
In addition, on the last day of the course, a day-long practical exercise is carried to simulate the most realistic conditions of the field. - Riots and Demonstrations
The workshop is intended for all reporters covering demonstrations and protests.
The Training covers the following topics: Risk Assessment, Planning for demonstration, Security Forces Tactics, Protective Equipment. The training contains both theory and practice. On the last day of the course, a day-long practical exercise is carried in a natural environment to simulate the most realistic conditions of the field. - First Aid
The workshop is intended for all reporters covering the conflicts in the regions as well as demonstrations.
The Training covers the following topics: Casualty Assessment, CPR, Fractures, Bleeding, Burns, Road Traffic Accident. The training contains both theory and practice. On the last day of the course, a day-long practical exercise is carried in a natural environment to simulate the most realistic conditions of the field. - Safe Investigative Reporting
The workshop is intended for all investigative journalists covering sensitive topics (crime; politics; environment). The Training covers the following topics: Risk Assessment, Planning for an Assignment, Personal Security, Surveillance, Anti-Surveillance, Handling Sources, Interviewing Techniques. The training contains both theory and practice. On the last day of the course, a day-long practical exercise is carried in a natural environment to simulate the most realistic conditions of the fieldGiven the expertise required, the EFJ relies on national and international trainers, as well as the support of OBCT, to deliver the courses. Interpretation is available for every training.
Capacity-Building Activities
The EFJ works in close cooperation with the CCI/Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBC Transeuropa) to organise capacity building activities at national level.
The Capacity Building workshops are meant to equip national stakeholders organisations to discuss the way forward for establishing a long-term and cross-stakeholder approach to protect journalists and create a culture of safety, reaching out to media outlets, journalists ’organisations as well as individual journalists, managers and public institutions. The programme supports requests from local stakeholders in their pursuit of establishing national safety plans and strategies.
The workshops are based on the development of institutional safety legislation and tools including:
- The 2021 European Commission Recommendation on the protection, safety and empowerment of journalists aims to ensure safer working conditions for all media professionals, free from fear and intimidation, whether online or offline. It sets out concrete actions for Member States to take as public authorities have a duty to protect freedom of expression and journalists’ safety. These recommendations serve as the framework for the work of the MFRR consortium in the safety domain. Smooth, effective and appropriate cooperation between journalists, other media professionals and authorities must ensure better prevention against threats and attacks. Member States must put in place frameworks for cooperation between stakeholders and actively encourage dialogue between them by establishing points of support, contact and rapid response and early warning mechanisms.
- The 2016 Council of Europe’s Recommendation on the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors includes wide-ranging guidelines on prevention, protection, prosecution, and promotion of information, education and awareness raising.
Participants
A typical course is organised for 15 participants maximum. Gender balance is always promoted. The training programmes are intended for working journalists and other media professionals, would they be staff or freelancers. Under MFRR, journalists include reporters, camerapersons or photographers. Under MFRR, media workers include sound recorder, drivers, interpreters taking part in assignment together with journalists