For training more than a thousand journalists in digital security

Region: Global  Sector: Media and Entertainment  UN SDG: 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Journalism is an increasingly dangerous profession. Around the globe, journalists face a growing number of threats, including threats to their very lives. The risks of reporting have become so severe that the United Nations considers journalism to be one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.

And the attacks on journalists aren’t just physically harmful. The proliferation of digital tools and platforms in recent years, and the relative anonymity these permit, has allowed people who oppose or want to prevent and restrict press freedom to conduct cyberattacks against journalists. These attacks take a variety of forms, including doxxing, which exposes reporters’ personal information, including their residential addresses, their financial data, and information about their families. The effects often extend to the family members and colleagues of the impacted journalists.

In response, organizations that are dedicated to press freedom are devoting more of their time and resources to creating support systems for journalists who may be affected by digital security threats. One such organization is Freedom of the Press Foundation, whose Digital Security Training Project delivered online digital security workshops to more than 1,300 journalists around the world in 2023. 

The Freedom of the Press Foundation was established on the core principle that “press freedom is the gateway to accountability and the cornerstone of democracy.” Multiple actors, the Foundation says, seek to restrict that freedom, including individuals and groups that wish to conceal illegal or nefarious activity, and governments, which want to suppress or control information or define and drive specific narratives. Their programs encompass a number of tools to support journalists, including encryption software to protect both sources and journalists, and document “sanitization” to protect sensitive information from spyware. But the cornerstone of its security program is the Digital Security Training Project, which aims to teach journalists of all ages and stages how to protect themselves online, from the classroom to the frontlines of reporting. Crucially, the training program is available on a sliding scale, making the project accessible not only to established newsrooms, but also to freelance reporters, who typically lack institutional support and resources. Some pro bono options are available as well.

A number of free guides are available on their website, both in English and in Spanish, covering topics as diverse as establishing passkeys for secure log-ins, email hygiene, protecting phone communications from police and other authorities, secure communication, and preparing for online harassment. One important milestone achieved by the Digital Security Training Project in 2023 was the Foundation’s introduction of a weekly security email newsletter. The free resource keeps journalists who have participated in previous training with up-to-date information about security threats and protection measures. The Spanish-language guides were also released in 2023, vastly expanding the Foundation’s reach for journalists in need of support.