Workshop: Reporting Safely in Crisis Zones

April 16-19, 2015
Columbia Journalism School
2960 Broadway
New York, NY, 10026, United States

Covering crisis presents some of the biggest challenges in the profession. The wrong move can kill someone, including yourself. Reporters must make quick decisions on whether to trust a translator or drive down a dangerous road. This course will show how to operate with caution in volatile situations, with an emphasis on conflicts. However, survival tips also relate to natural catastrophes like earthquakes. Most hostile environment training for journalists deals with ducking crossfire and kidnappers. Instead, we discuss how to avoid unnecessary peril, with careful preparations before, during and after assignments. Participants will emerge with a better understanding of how to hire fixers, shun attackers or protect computers.

Specialists will provide instruction in the following areas:

  • Risk assessment: making the right decisions before and during an assignment, setting limits, sound practices amid riots, snipers, mines, shooting, roadblocks, infiltrators and general mayhem.
  • Digital Security: safeguarding sensitive computer data and communicating with others in a secure manner. Codes, encryption and cloud computing skills are taught.
  • Emergency first aid: tourniquets, triage, fractures and bullet wounds.
  • Trauma: emotional self-care while covering troubling stories.
  • Rape/assault prevention, setting boundaries, delaying tactics, basic self-defense, healing.

Lead Instructor: Judith Matloff, adjunct faculty, Columbia Journalism School

Apply: To apply for this course, a prospective student must send a CV and brief summary of his/her professional experience (up to 400 words) to [email protected] with the subject line reading "Reporting in Crisis Zones." Admission notification will be sent upon receipt of student materials.

The 2015 application is now closed. Click here for the 2016 application.

Pricing: $975.

Six bursaries of $450 each are to be awarded with the generous support of the Rory Peck Trust to partially offset the cost of tuition. Bursaries are offered ONLY to freelancers who regularly write for a journalistic/news media organization. Journalists who are employed fulltime by a news organization or others who are employed by non-news media companies are not be considered for a bursary, but may apply to attend the program. To be considered for an RPT bursary, submit a letter along with your application to the program, via email to [email protected], stating why you should be considered, detailing the news media organization(s) for whom you work, at least 4 work samples or links to published journalistic works, along with the names and contacts of editors/news managers supervising your work.

Bursary application deadline: February 16, 2015.

Course Testimonials:

"It was such a joy to attend the class. The course was incredibly informative and helpful. It is things like your course that make me proud to be a journalist and hopeful for the industry. It will make the next generation safer, wiser and more informed.” – Andrew Burton, Getty Images

“These last days at Columbia were amazing. The University, the classes, the professors and the colleagues are now not only part of my professional development, but personal.” – Martin Riepl, reporter for Frecuencia Latina television (Peru)l

“I used to operate with a mindset that either one of two things would happen to me: 1. nothing, and hence I'd be fine; or 2. something bad, and hence I'd probably die. Now, thanks to [the medical instruction], I realize there's a 3rd option: 3. something could happen to me and I could survive, simply due to being more prepared and having some basic training. And that's a great feeling.” – Joshua Hergesheimer, independent writer/photographer (Canada)

Please Note: Columbia University reserves the right to cancel and/or reschedule a course based on enrollment figures.  In the event of cancellation or postponement, the Continuing Education department will offer reimbursement for the course.  In other cases, all sales are final. Continuing Education does not offer refunds, credits or exchanges. We apologize, but there are no exceptions to this rule.