Hosted at the Univest Public Media Center, 839 Sesame St., Bethlehem, a Sept. 14 Journalist Safety Education Workshop provided a roomful of media personnel with useful tips for covering stories in hostile environments.

Led by Chris Post, founder of International Media Support Group (IMSG), the more than 5-hour long course outlined steps reporters and photographers can take to keep themselves and members of their teams safe.

Topics that were covered included: threats and hazard planning; personal safety and situational awareness; digital security; low resource reporting during disasters; civil unrest and protests; emotional well-being and stress resilience; along with a hands-on activity for catastrophic bleeding control.

Opening with a 2023 headline from the “McCurtain Gazette-News” that read: “County officials discuss killing, burying Gazette reporters,” Post related a story of how elected officials in Oklahoma had been recorded discussing how to murder and dispose of the bodies of a pair of photojournalists.

He noted that danger from political polarization and catastrophic weather are on the rise.

Post explained that his mission with these courses is to “make sure everybody gets to go home.”

Planning well for potentially hazardous situations like covering a protest event or the aftermath of a severe weather event is critical. Besides making sure one has all the camera, computer and communication equipment needed to cover the story, food, water and extra batteries may be needed. “Cash is king,” remarked Post about being prepared for going into a landscape torn up by natural disasters or conflict.

Practicing “situational awareness” is key to personal safety. He provided a “Cooper’s Colour Code” that rates how much one should be paying attention to their environment.

White indicates “unawareness” such as is experienced at home. When out and about, yellow calls for “relaxed awareness,” like looking both ways before crossing a street. Amber is for “focused awareness,” like when an approaching vehicle is spotted. Code red is for “ready to act” if the vehicle appears out of control.

Among the potentially lifesaving instruction Post delivered was what to pack in a small emergency kit. He suggested a ready-made commercial Velcro tourniquet, gauze, compression dressing and a pair of scissors.

Attendees practiced packing a rubber simulated bullet wound rigged to gush theater blood with gauze while applying pressure.

Post strapped a simulated wound appendage to his arm and instructed his students on how to stem the flow of theater blood with the store-bought tourniquet.

He also taught how to create makeshift bandages and tourniquets from materials at hand.

Post emphasized that once tied on, the time should be written somewhere and only a doctor should be the one to loosen it afterward.

Maintaining emotional well-being and finding positive ways to build stress resilience is as important as the other components of how journalists need to practice keeping safe.

LehighValleyNews.com Executive Editor Jim Deegan opened up the free workshop to all area freelance, student and staff journalists. Having attended a previous workshop, photographer Howard Gaines traveled from New Jersey for a refresher course.

Post is a longtime photo freelancer and WFMZ videographer in the Lehigh Valley. The Bethlehem resident and former emergency first responder has conducted these training sessions, some more intense than others, across the globe.

The safety workshop was held in conjunction with Crisis Ready Media, PBS39 and the International Media Support Group.

Information: journalistsafety.com/