Safer, Smarter Journalism: Digital Security Need for South Asia’s Journalists

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) today launch Safer, Smarter Journalism, a week-long digital security campaign to build digital security awareness and skills for South Asia’s journalists.

While journalists in South Asia already work in a difficult safety environment because of threats, intimidations, and attacks, they may also be exposing themselves with their digital footprints.

Safer, Smarter Journalism will run in all 8 South Asian nations from May 23 to 31 and has been supported by UNDEF through the South Asia Media for Democracy project. Some important activities include:

• Launch of Digital Campaigning for Media Action: A Campaign Guide for Journalists on May 23. The guide is aimed to the journalist unions and journalists; and outlines the essentials of the digital campaigning utilizing the social media platforms available today.
• Release of the Survey on Digital Security in South Asia’s Media survey onWednesday, May 25, conducted with 176 journalists in all eight countries of South Asia.
• Launch of the Mobile Voices – Freedom of Expression in Mobile Platforms in South Asia report on Monday, May 31. The report is the assessment of freedom of expression in South Asia on digital platforms.
• Sharing of messages of journalists and journalist unions in South Asia from May 23 to 31. Will include educational and messages of solidarity on digital security including tips, statistics, videos, postcards and infographics on digital security essentials on their social media platforms and with member journalists.

A resource page on digital security will also be launched on the SAMSN Digital Hub to provide a base for critical and useful resources on digital security.

The IFJ said: “Digital insecurity compromises not only the safety and security of the journalists and their sources but also compromises the integrity of the profession because digital tools and technologies also contain huge amounts of digital information and meta-data.”

“Today, also every journalist uses digital tools and technologies, yet many are still not aware of the risks and vulnerabilities created by their digital footprint. This special campaign for South Asia’s media is both critical and timely, to raise awareness among journalists in South Asia of those risks.”

Written By

IFJ Asia-Pacific

The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 140 countries.
For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +61 2 9333 0946
Find the IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific
Find the IFJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/IFJAsiaPacific

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