International Correspondent Safety Pack

PRE-DEPLOYMENT RISK ASSESSMENT

Journalist: [FULL NAME]
Publication / Employer: [ORGANISATION]
Destination: [COUNTRY / REGION / CITY]
Deployment dates: [START DATE] to [END DATE]
Assignment: [BRIEF DESCRIPTION]
Assessed by: [JOURNALIST + EDITOR/SECURITY DESK]
Date of assessment: [DATE]

1. COUNTRY RISK LEVEL
FCO travel advisory level: [Check gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice]
Current advisory: [ ] Standard  [ ] Exercise caution  [ ] FCDO advises against non-essential travel  [ ] FCDO advises against all travel
Local security briefing obtained from: [SOURCE]

2. SPECIFIC THREATS RELEVANT TO THIS ASSIGNMENT
[ ] Armed conflict or active hostilities
[ ] Kidnap or ransom risk
[ ] Criminal violence / robbery
[ ] State actor surveillance or detention risk
[ ] Extremist or terrorism threat
[ ] Civil unrest or protest violence
[ ] COVID-19 or disease outbreak
[ ] Natural disaster risk
[ ] Other: [SPECIFY]

For each ticked: describe threat level and mitigation below.
[THREAT / MITIGATION NOTES]

3. EQUIPMENT AND DOCUMENTATION
[ ] Press credentials obtained and valid
[ ] Passport validity: expires [DATE] — at least 6 months remaining
[ ] Visas obtained: [LIST]
[ ] Travel and medical insurance: policy number [NUMBER], insurer [NAME], 24h emergency line [NUMBER]
[ ] K&R insurance: [ ] Yes — policy number [NUMBER]  [ ] No — reason: [REASON]
[ ] First aid kit
[ ] Satellite phone / comms device: [DETAILS]
[ ] Body armour: [ ] Provided  [ ] Not required — reason: [REASON]
[ ] HEFAT training completed: [ ] Yes — date [DATE]  [ ] No — reason: [REASON]

4. DIGITAL SECURITY
[ ] Journalist deploying with clean device
[ ] Encrypted communications (Signal, ProtonMail) operational
[ ] VPN / Tor configured
[ ] Sensitive files removed from travel devices
[ ] Data backed up securely off-device

5. EMERGENCY CONTACTS IN COUNTRY
Local security contact: [NAME / NUMBER]
Embassy / consulate: [LOCATION / NUMBER — from gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice]
Local fixer / driver: [NAME / NUMBER]
Hospital / medical: [LOCATION / NUMBER]

6. SIGN-OFF
Risk assessment reviewed and approved:

Journalist: _______________________ Date: ___________
Editor / Security Desk: _______________________ Date: ___________

NEXT-OF-KIN CONTACTS FORM

Journalist: [FULL NAME]
Date of birth: [DATE]
Nationality: [NATIONALITY]
Passport number: [NUMBER]
Blood group: [BLOOD GROUP]
Known allergies / medical conditions: [LIST OR "None"]

DEPLOYMENT DETAILS
Destination: [COUNTRY / REGION]
Departure date: [DATE]
Return date: [DATE]
Employer / publication emergency line: [NUMBER]

PRIMARY NEXT OF KIN
Name: [FULL NAME]
Relationship: [RELATIONSHIP]
Phone (mobile): [NUMBER]
Phone (home): [NUMBER]
Email: [EMAIL]
Address: [ADDRESS]

SECONDARY NEXT OF KIN
Name: [FULL NAME]
Relationship: [RELATIONSHIP]
Phone (mobile): [NUMBER]
Email: [EMAIL]

ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY CONTACTS
GP name and surgery: [NAME / ADDRESS / PHONE]
Dentist (if dental records needed): [NAME / PHONE]
Solicitor / will location: [NAME / LOCATION]

COMMUNICATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR NOK
If you receive a call from my publication or the FCDO regarding my safety, please:
1. Note the name and contact details of the person calling.
2. Contact [EMPLOYER SECURITY DESK: NUMBER] to verify the call is genuine before sharing personal information.
3. Do not speak to media without consulting my employer.

I authorise my next of kin to receive information about my situation from my employer in the event of an emergency.

Journalist signature: _______________________ Date: ___________

DAILY CHECK-IN PROTOCOL

Journalist: [FULL NAME]
Destination: [COUNTRY / REGION]
Deployment: [START DATE] to [END DATE]

CHECK-IN SCHEDULE
Check-in time: [TIME, e.g. 20:00 local time daily]
Grace period: [PERIOD, e.g. 30 minutes]
Primary contact at base: [NAME, ROLE, CONTACT]
Backup contact at base: [NAME, ROLE, CONTACT]
Communication method (primary): [e.g. Signal to [NUMBER]]
Communication method (backup): [e.g. Iridium satellite phone — number [NUMBER]]

DURESS CODE
If the journalist is under coercion but physically able to communicate, they will use the following duress word/phrase in the check-in:
Duress word: [WORD — known only to journalist and base contact, not written here in unencrypted form]

MISSED CHECK-IN PROCEDURE
1st missed check-in (grace period elapsed):
— Base contact attempts contact via backup method.
— Waits [30 minutes] for response.

2nd consecutive missed check-in:
— Base contact alerts [SECURITY DESK / EDITOR].
— Base contact alerts [PRIMARY NOK] that contact has been lost.
— Attempts contact via all available methods.

3rd consecutive missed check-in:
— Base contact alerts [FCDO] and [LOCAL EMBASSY: NUMBER].
— Base contact activates [EMPLOYER EMERGENCY PROTOCOL / K&R INSURER].

DAILY CHECK-IN LOG
Date | Time contacted | Method | Status | Notes
[DATE] | [TIME] | [METHOD] | [OK / MISSED / DURESS] | [NOTES]

KIDNAP-AND-RANSOM ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Journalist: [FULL NAME]
Employer: [ORGANISATION]
Deployment: [DESTINATION] — [DATES]

I, [FULL NAME], acknowledge that I have been informed of and understand the following in relation to kidnap-and-ransom (K&R) risk and response:

1. K&R INSURANCE
[ ] My employer holds a K&R insurance policy covering this deployment. Insurer: [NAME], Policy: [NUMBER], 24h response line: [NUMBER].
[ ] I am deploying without K&R insurance. I understand the additional risk this entails.

2. NO-NEGOTIATION / NO-PAYMENT POLICY
I understand that [MY EMPLOYER / THE INSURER] operates under the following policy in the event of a K&R incident: [State policy — e.g. no ransom payment will be made; ransom payment decision rests with insurer; etc.]

3. COMMUNICATION BLACKOUT
In the event of a K&R incident affecting me, I agree that:
(a) My employer, family, and colleagues will not speak publicly about the incident unless specifically authorised by the K&R response team.
(b) No communication about the incident will be posted on social media.
(c) All media enquiries will be directed to [NAME / CONTACT].

4. PERSONAL SECURITY OBLIGATIONS
I confirm that I have:
[ ] Completed HEFAT training (date: [DATE])
[ ] Received a destination-specific security briefing
[ ] Read and understood the CPJ Journalist Security Guide (cpj.org/safety)
[ ] Agreed check-in protocol and emergency contacts

5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I confirm I have read and understood this document and the policies referenced in it.

Journalist: _______________________ Date: ___________
Witness / Security Desk: _______________________ Date: ___________

POST-INCIDENT DEBRIEF TEMPLATE

Journalist: [FULL NAME]
Date of incident: [DATE]
Location: [COUNTRY / CITY / SPECIFIC LOCATION]
Nature of incident: [BRIEF DESCRIPTION — e.g. detention, robbery, assault, near-miss, hostile contact]
Date of debrief: [DATE]
Conducted by: [SECURITY DESK / EDITOR / TRAUMA SUPPORT CONTACT]

1. INCIDENT TIMELINE
[Time] — [What happened]
[Time] — [What happened]
[Continue as needed]

2. WHO WAS INVOLVED
Journalist(s) present: [NAMES]
Fixer / driver present: [NAME — if relevant]
Third parties (describe without identifying if security risk): [DESCRIPTION]
Authorities involved: [IF APPLICABLE]

3. INJURIES AND MEDICAL
Physical injuries sustained: [ ] None  [ ] Minor  [ ] Serious
Medical treatment received: [YES / NO — if yes, describe]
Psychological impact: [Brief self-assessment — professional trauma support referral if needed]

4. EQUIPMENT / MATERIALS
Equipment lost, damaged, or seized: [LIST OR "None"]
Journalistic materials (notes, footage, drives) compromised: [ ] Yes  [ ] No
Details: [IF YES]

5. IMMEDIATE RESPONSE ACTIONS TAKEN
[Describe what journalist did immediately after the incident]

6. LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
What could have been done differently to avoid or mitigate this incident?
[JOURNALIST'S ASSESSMENT]

What systemic changes should the organisation consider?
[JOURNALIST'S RECOMMENDATIONS]

7. FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS
[ ] Medical follow-up arranged — date: [DATE]
[ ] Trauma / psychological support arranged — date: [DATE]
[ ] Security briefing updated — by: [NAME]
[ ] FCO / insurer notified — reference: [NUMBER]
[ ] Formal report filed with: [CPJ / RSF / NUJ / ACOS / OTHER]

Sources: Rory Peck Trust (rorypecktrust.org), ACOS Alliance (acosalliance.org), CPJ (cpj.org/safety)