Reporting Elections, Safety and Security of Journalists • • • • • • journalists should intuitively know when to retreat. Always re-evaluate the risks involved. Assigning editors should make the safety of their journalists paramount and discourage unwarranted risk-taking on the part of their journalists. Lower your profile during assignments in hostile territories and do everything possible not to attract attention to yourself for you will not only be a danger to yourself but to others. Get first aid training; it may help you or a colleague. Instinct, Intuition and Wisdom should be the operative words for those journalists working in hostile environments. Other recommendations are: • Never carry a gun or weapon • Know the regulations which relate to an unrest area and where those areas are located. • Be respectful of security personnel but you can challenge with confidence attempts to order you away from areas which you have legitimate right to be. • Know where you are going and be adequately prepared before leaving; know what political, racial, religious or conflicts which exist: the information can help keep you out of trouble. • Make contacts as soon as possible and get to know media representatives of all the major organisations in the area. Look for telephones and vantage points where you can cover an event without being too close if trouble seems possible. • Be familiar with roads and where they lead to if you 57