With immigration enforcement directives among the most politicized and contentious topics in the U.S., reporters on the beat face growing threats on the ground and online. Local and national journalists covering immigration have to navigate the need to protect themselves and their sources alongside increased pressure to get the story right.
The Institute offered a panel discussion with seasoned reporters and editors who shared their experiences in the field and newsroom, including:
- Guidance for maintaining digital safety while reporting on a sensitive and highly scrutinized topic
- How to prepare for assignments, protect sources and yourself, and what to include in your field safety kit
- An editor’s perspective on risk assessment and newsroom support
- How to balance public interest reporting with real-world risks
Speakers
- Adrian Carrasquillo, national immigration correspondent and “Huddled Masses” newsletter author, The Bulwark
- Arelis Hernandez, national reporter covering the U.S. Southern border, Immigration, Texas and beyond, The Washington Post
- Jon Collins, senior reporter on the MPR News race, class and communities team, Minnesota Public Radio
- Michelle Zenarosa, editor-in-chief, LA Public Press
- Moderated by: Elliot C. Williams, training manager, NPCJI
Resources
- Tipsheet: Staying safe during protest coverage
- Immigration enforcement reporting guide (Los Angeles Public Press)
- How to navigate living in an ICE-occupied neighborhood in LA County (Los Angeles Public Press)
- How to protect yourself when talking to media about ICE raids (Los Angeles Public Press)
- When your local reporter needs the same protection as a war correspondent (Poynter)
- Physical safety and hostile environment training (International Women’s Media Foundation)
- Digital security education (Freedom of the Press Foundation)
- Deportation Data Project
- Love in the time of self-deportation (The Bulwark)
- Children describe life inside Dilley ICE detention center (ProPublica)
- In Minneapolis, all-encompassing immigration story tests a newsroom in midst of digital transition (Associated Press)