who have accumulated years of knowledge about the areas in to which they are travel- ling. If we have more junior staff with them they develop by osmosis and so the flow of information continues. This is also why every traveller goes through a thorough de-briefing after the trip. Refresher training courses are also delivered regularly,” he says.
The media gathers in front of the Al Deira hotel in Gaza City following the start of the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza, July 2014
given what is happening in Syria and Iraq these are topics we address every day.” Guidance and training are also person- alised to meet the requirements of each traveller. Gender, sexuality, ethnicity and experience are all taken into account. “That doesn’t mean there is discrimination, but we have frank discussions about risk,” says Pereira. And always with an eye on the future, employees with mixed levels of ex- perience are made to travel together. Pereira describes ITN’s philosophy as not just a ‘factory’ of news, but also, more importantly, a factory of journalists. “We have people
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
LINES OF COMMUNICATION The physical well-being of travellers is not ITN’s only concern. The nature of working in war zones and disaster areas means many are exposed to situations that can lead to post-traumatic stress. For example, many of the journalists covering the Beslan siege in Russia, or the recent conflict in Gaza, were parents. “There were a lot of children killed in both cases,” reflects Pereira. “And our people then have to go home to their own kids. It can be very tough to deal with.” Counselling is, therefore, made available to all returning from the field. But this duty-of-care is also extended to workers’ families. “We are very aware that our staff do things and go to places that can be extremely stressful for their families. There can be a lot of anxiety. We really make a significant effort to keep communication lines open with next of kin during major, high-risk operations.” The last 12 months have thrown up some of the most disturbing news images in recent memory. The loss of MH370 and MH17, the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, and the execu- tions carried out by extremists in Syria and Iraq all create the impression that the world has never been so dangerous. But the truth is, journalists have faced this level of risk for many years and will continue to do so. Some 40 members of the press have been killed in conflict zones some- where in the world so far this year. That’s just over half the number that perished in 2013. Without travel risk and security programmes, these numbers would be terrifyingly higher.
RISKY BUSINESS
BEFORE TURNING TO A CAREER IN POLITICS, Sir Winston Churchill was one of Britain’s most celebrated war correspondents. He reported for The Morning Post, a daily conservative newspaper, from the front line of the second Boer War in South Africa in the late 19th century.
BBC JOURNALIST ALAN JOHNSTON was kidnapped in Gaza City on March 12, 2007, and held in captivity for four months. There were claims that the reporter was to be executed if any rescue attempt was launched. However, on July 4, Johnston was set free.
FREELANCE JOURNALISTS are prone to taking higher risks in war zones, because they have to sell stories and are not paid a salary. Many global news agencies have stopped buying freelance work from Syria since the murder of James Foley by Islamic State extremists. 65 journalists have been killed in Syria since the start of the civil war.
RISC (REPORTERS INSTRUCTED IN SAVING COLLEAGUES) has offered first-aid training to freelancers since photojournalist Tim Hetherington died in Libya in 2011 from a potentially-treatable wound. Hostile environment training prepares journalists to deal with checkpoints, war zones, kidnappings, interrogation, suicide bombers and land mines.
BBT NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 57
Photo: Daniel van Moll/Corbis
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