12 October, 2017 - 08:15
Bringing the news to our screens and airwaves can be a dangerous pursuit and the brave souls who risk their lives to bring back stories from war zones, violent protests and areas too dangerous for many of us to tread, often do so with higher purpose. For them, it's not just a job. They run towards the places that others are desperate to escape, so travel risk management is not something that's given much attention.
The truth, however, is that the job of a journalist can be so risky, that New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports over 1,200 journalists have been killed on assignment since 1992. Iraq, Syria and the Philippines have the most recorded deaths during this period and the deaths have occurred while covering politics, war, human rights and corruption.
We are working to promote a culture of safety among news organisations and journalists as the situation is becoming increasingly dangerous, says Maria Salazar-Ferro, CPJ Emergencies Director. The press community has become more aware of duty of care since the violent deaths of freelancers in Syria in 2014. There's certainly more talk around how to look after journalists, but it is still largely reactive.
Duty of care requires companies to ensure the safety or well-being of their employees when on assignment for that company, yet none of the media outlets and journalists surveyed in South Africa for this article were aware of this legal and moral corporate responsibility or, in fact, whether a duty of care policy existed.
I'm not aware of any duty of care policy, but am 100% confident that I would be looked after as the publisher has an excellent track record of assisting staff when they are on duty travel, says Claire Keeton, Sunday Times senior news and features writer.
We have company travel insurance and all international trips need to be approved and undergo more processes than domestic duty travel, but I'm not aware of any duty of care policy existing at Media24, says Selene Brophy, Traveller24 Editor.
While the media organisation does have a travel policy and travelling staff are armed with comprehensive travel insurance, the company's HR Manager Jeannine Scheltens confirms that no duty of care policy exists.
Xola Ka Madiba, SABC Travel Manager, says the organisation does not have an official duty of care policy, but that travelling staff are given travel insurance. When our journalists are invited to cover government trips, there are very specific instructions. We have had situations where our journalists have had to be removed from harm's way, but we solicit the assistance of the diplomatic mission in that country. We do recognise, however, that we need to introduce a duty of care policy so that our response is less reactive.
Market your Film Services
Start a Film Marketing Campaign Today
The first step for media outlets to safeguard their journalists on assignment is to do a risk assessment, says Salazar-Ferro. It's a very basic first step to duty of care. Media outlets can also visit the ACOS Alliance website to find information on how to incorporate the highest safety standards in their work.
The travel programme for media organisations must be more flexible than for many other industries, explains Stage and Screen Travel Service's Jennifer Smith, who specialises in this niche area of corporate travel and duty of care programmes. It's not always possible to plan ahead because news just happens, so a lot of this kind of travel is last minute and you have to be particularly resourceful when the whole world is rushing to the same spot to get the news first.
Depending on where you're going, you'll need the assistance of a travel agent to find accommodation, flights, visas/ permits, carnets etc., quickly so you don't miss out.
Smith says the right contacts are essential for media travel. Travel plans like flights and visas can be looked after by your travel management company (TMC), but as journalists arrive on the ground they are largely responsible for assessing the situation and feeding back to their management and TMC to assist them.
Having a duty of care programme doesn't need to be a daunting task, or a very time consuming one. With the help of the right TMC, you can quickly implement simple emergency or evacuation procedures that can turn those days of turmoil into peace of mind that your travellers know exactly who to contact in an emergency and how to get home. If a TMC has all your traveller details on file, it's easy to track them down should an emergency occur and provide assistance or alternate travel arrangements to ensure their safety.
There is no question that the world would be a sadder place without the brave journalists who risk their lives to report on the news. The number of journalists who lose their lives as a result would, however, be vastly reduced if media organisations had proper travel risk and duty of care programmes in place.
For help developing and implementing a duty of care programme for your travellers, contact Stage and Screen Travel Services.
Email: experts@stageandscreentravel.co.za
Call us on 0877 40 5181
Documentaries
Africa South Africa
Email: experts@stageandscreentravel.co.za
Call us on 0877 40 5181
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
12 October, 2017 - 08:15 
