2025 Newsroom Safety Across America
In February 2024, the International Women’s Media Foundation launched the Newsroom Safety Across America Initiative to provide safety training to journalists ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential elections. The IWMF trained more than 600 journalists representing 200 local and regional news outlets in battleground states and rural areas as newsrooms grappled with ongoing safety challenges. As part of this effort, IWMF collected in-depth survey data and interviews from training participants and launched the report, “Journalists Under Fire: US Media Report Daily Threats, Harassment and Attacks at Home”. The data revealed a shocking number of threats to American journalists’ safety and well-being. Journalists reported incidents ranging from physical violence and harassment to threats of gun violence, verbal attacks and sexual harassment while on assignment and in the workplace.
The IWMF is committed to improving the safety of journalists in the United States and will continue to provide wraparound care for small newsrooms and journalists looking for resources and knowledge to implement best practices and safety policies. This can include virtual safety trainings, safety consultations, assistance developing and implementing safety policies, and emergency assistance grants when needed.
If you are a newsroom or freelance journalist interested in training or policies covering safety, please fill out this intake form.
Additional resources:
- One-on one safety consultation form
- Emergency fund intake form for U.S. based journalists
- Newsroom Policy Guide (Spanish) & Protecting Freelance Journalists Guide
- Mental Health Guide (Spanish)
Please reach out to programs@iwmf.org if you have any questions or accessibility needs. For legal support please contact the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press at their free legal hotline (1-800-336-4243). The hotline is available 24/7.
About the IWMF's Safety Work
As the leading provider of identity-informed, holistic safety training and resources for journalists and newsrooms – with a focus on women and nonbinary reporters – in the U.S. and globally, the IWMF has trained thousands of journalists to enhance their safety online and offline.