NCTJ to launch new safety training resource in response to rising threats against journalists

The NCTJ has pledged to develop a new training resource providing safety guidance for journalists following last year’s UK-wide riots, which saw an unprecedented level of physical threats against reporters in the field.

The NCTJ will work closely with members of the charity’s employer-led safety and resilience advisory panel to produce guidelines that will feed into the new resource, which will be made available and accessible to all journalists via the Journalism Skills Academy.

Physical safety was the main point of discussion at last week’s panel meeting, following the violent disorders that began in Southport and quickly spread across the UK in July 2024.

The far-right and anti-immigration riots were sparked by untrue claims posted on social media about the suspected stabbings of three young children.

Maria Breslin, editor of the Liverpool Echo, was invited to the panel meeting to give a first-hand account of the threats made to her team as the violence escalated.

She said: “We were already aware that an ugly situation was brewing and that there could be a safety issue as one of our reporters had received threats and we were receiving unpleasant calls. But we were still caught by surprise.

“We were staffing a vigil initially but things changed very quickly – we were not expecting things to escalate. During that night, one of our journalists was attacked physically, his glasses were broken and his things were stolen. I noticed something I had never seen before where the journalists were considered part of the problem.”

“From then on, the situation escalated from one day to the next and we acted quickly to put guidelines and measures in place to protect people so we were more prepared the next day. We had a safety app internally and everyone had to use it.

“We learned a lot very quickly. We also had to look after those who were working long nights and we had people who did not want to be involved with the coverage so we had to balance the needs of everyone, and play to people’s strengths.”

Panel member Alex Perkins, head of safety, security and high risk, at ITN, ITV and Channel 4, agreed that the unrest took everyone by surprise.

He said: “We were also caught unaware and at its peak, we had 15 teams covering the riots across the different channels. It was chaotic on the first night – we were just getting through it and making sure everyone was safe. The next day, we had a debrief and put a rigid structure in place to ensure the reporting teams were protected.”

The panel’s chair, Joanna Webster, global managing editor for visuals at Reuters, said: “The industry’s response shows agility and resilience in the face of an extraordinary and unexpected situation. It has reinforced the need for safety guidelines that can be referenced by all journalists – whether you work in a large organisation or as a freelance journalist. This is important so that everyone can be prepared.”

Joanne Forbes, chief executive at the NCTJ, said: “The riots were a stark reminder of the dangers frontline journalists face while carrying out their vital work. Through the efforts of our safety and resilience advisory panel, the NCTJ is committed to ensuring that all journalists have access to the training and resources needed to protect themselves in volatile reporting environments.

“We will develop this new training resource and guidelines based on the panel’s recommendations, reinforcing our commitment to safeguard journalists across all platforms.”

The NCTJ Safety and Resilience Advisory Panel was set up in 2023 in response to the ongoing threat to journalists and since then has made key recommendations which feed into the NCTJ’s safety and resilience action plan. Among them are the launch of a confidence-building e-learning course which was well-received on its launch in September 2024.

The NCTJ has also developed a free training course that covers online safety, physical safety and resilience and wellbeing, available on the Journalism Skills Academy’s e-learning platform.

The NCTJ’s research paper Journalists at Work, published last year, reported that just over half of journalists have experienced abuse, harassment or violence in their work.

As threats to journalists continue to evolve, the NCTJ remains committed to equipping the industry with the training and resources needed to stay safe in an increasingly volatile reporting landscape.