As the conflict in Ukraine enters its second year, the ACOS Alliance is extending its range of safety training and resource initiatives for locally-based journalists and editors.
In 2022, working in partnership with Reuters, 2402 Fund and the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, ACOS provided combat safety training and medical kits to 72 journalists based in Ukraine. Our aim was to offer training specific to the conflict. By coordinating with partners inside the country we able to reach journalists who needed it most.
In 2023 we continue our partnership with 2402 Fund - now an ACOS signatory - to offer two new safety initiatives. Editors with Ukrainian based media are invited to apply for a 90 minute Editors Safety Workshop which will be held online on Friday 17 March and led by The New York Times' Vice President for Corporate Security, Jason Reich. Applications are now open.
March will also see publication of our Ukraine Safety Checklist, a simple, effective tool to help journalists and editors ensure they have considered all the relevant safety concerns before embarking on an assignment.
We are also working with Dart Center Europe to contextualise our psychological safety resource for Ukraine-based media. Leading Resilience: a Guide for Editors and News managers working with Freelancers Exposed to Trauma is another practical toolkit containing information, tips and guidance to help editors assess trauma exposure among freelance contributors and then plan the necessary action and support. The Ukraine version will be available in the coming months and available to download from ACOS, Dart and 24.02 websites.
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You can find a range of practical safety resources for freelancers, local journalists, editors and newsrooms at the ACOS website. These cover all aspects of safety from physical and digital, to legal and contractual for inexperienced and experienced journalists alike, many of them translated into multiple languages.
ACOS also has a useful Insurance resource with links to affordable options for freelancers and local journalists.