INTRODUCTION TO THE PRINCIPLES

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Journalists across the world increasingly face obstruction, hostility and violence. These attacks represent a fundamental threat to press freedom - an essential pillar of democracy. We call on governments, combatants and groups worldwide to respect the neutrality of journalists and immediately end the cycle of impunity surrounding attacks against them. 

 

In a time of journalistic peril, news organizations and journalists must work together to protect themselves and their vital role in global society.  All ACOS signatories endorse The Freelance Journalist Safety Principles. They represent a first step in a long-term campaign to convince news organizations and freelance journalists to adopt these standards globally and embed a culture of safety within their everyday working practices.  

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The Freelance Journalist Safety Principles were first drafted after the kidnapping and murder of reporters James Foley and Steven Sotloff in Syria in 2014.  Today, they are relevant to all news organizations, including non-profit initiatives commissioning or funding reports, and to international and local freelance journalists working across all media platforms, including investigative journalists, photographers and documentary filmmakers.

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