Protecting journalists gains urgency after Foley execution

With mainstream newspapers cutting their international reporting, smaller media outlets are filling the void, raising questions about their ability to protect free lance journalists now proliferating in dangerous war zones. Too many reporters have inadequate protection and training given challenges in the field. (The Guardian, August 21, 2014, by Martin Chulov)

Journalist James Foley beheaded by extremist Islamist fighters in Syria worked for GlobalPost that started up in 2009 and has yet to become a profitable enterprise. The GlobalPost requires its reporters to take security training and after Foley was captured in 2012, at considerable expense, put a security team into Syria to work on his release. (Reuters, August 22, 2014, by Jennifer Saba)

Two out of three journalists killed around the world are targeted rather than killed in crossfire prompting efforts to assess how effective governments are in protecting working journalists. Country-by-country assessments can provide more specific guides for journalists and editors. (MediaShift, August 21, 2014, by Javier Garza)