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.
The International Women's Media Foundation is offering a free DeleteMe subscription to journalists in the U.S. through our Newsroom Safety Across America initiative. The subscription will run through August 2025. As part of this program, the IWMF will continue offering ongoing support to the participating newsrooms and journalists with safety consultations, assistance developing and implementing safety policies, and emergency assistance grants when needed. This approach responds to the needs of journalists and newsroom leaders before, during, and after the elections with a mix of prevention and mitigation measures alongside emergency response and assistance if the newsroom faces any threats.
If you are interested in a free one year DeleteMe subscription, please submit the following form as soon as possible. We have a limited number of subscriptions. We will be reviewing the information provided in this application.
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. From 2020-2022, the IWMF has trained more than 7,230 journalists via our customized safety trainings and self-paced courses, and has provided HEFAT trainings to 810 journalists worldwide from 2014-2023. We lead Hostile Environment and First Aid Training (HEFAT) courses specifically tailored to the localized threats faced by the journalists we serve.
The Howard G. Buffett Foundation has given the IWMF a $750,000 grant to establish a three-year fund supporting U.S.-based reporting projects by Indigenous journalists on issues related to Missing & Murdered Indigenous People (MMMIP) with a concentration on women, girls, Two-Spirit and transgender people.
Starting in March 2022, applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis by an advisory committee comprised of distinguished Indigenous practicing journalists and editors, along with Indigenous thought leaders. The IWMF is conducting ongoing, targeted outreach to eligible journalists and Indigenous journalism groups to solicit proposals. Indigenous journalists affiliated with media outlets, as well as freelancers, are invited to apply.
In addition to monetary support, the IWMF is committed to providing editorial and pitching support to grantees.
Please read our FAQ page and Application Guide for the program. Eligible journalists can apply here.
If you are experiencing any accessibility issues with the application process, please contact info@iwmf.org.
The IWMF and its Coalition Against Online Violence partners are offering journalists the opportunity to sign up for free one-on-one safety consultations.
Concerned about a recent threat, online abuse, government surveillance or an upcoming reporting trip? Our experts provide journalists with clear and practical guidance, whether that's dealing with a digital or physical safety emergency or helping you build digital security into your story planning. We are here to help. You must have journalism as a primary profession to be eligible for a consultation.
Please note: this is not an emergency help line. We are unable to provide rapid response support.
To apply for a consultation, please complete this application. If you have any questions, please email digitalsafety@iwmf.org.
If you are experiencing any accessibility issues with the application process, please contact info@iwmf.org.
This is an application for the United States Journalism Emergency Fund established by the International Women’s Media Foundation and supported by the Luce Foundation and the Ford Foundation. To qualify for this emergency fund, you must be a U.S.-based journalist of any gender targeted as a result of your reporting at events related to the highly charged political unrest and polarization in the U.S., including elections, civil movements and other challenging environments. You may request support for:
- Immediate needs related to your professional work, such as destroyed or stolen equipment and protective gear;
- Small grants for medical and psychological care for incidents directly related to threats and crises caused by one’s work as a journalist.
Please note that emergency grants are not available to student journalists
Applicants must provide proof of their financial need. Funding is available to both staff journalists and those working independently. To request assistance from the IWMF’s United States Journalism Emergency Fund, please complete this preliminary questionnaire. Requests that do not meet the criteria above will not be considered.
For legal support if you have been arrested or face immediate threat of arrest, 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.
If you have any questions relating to the IWMF’s United States Journalism Emergency Fund, please email assistance@iwmf.org.