The fear of kidnap is a daily reality for journalists working in unstable political environments. Any attack on the press can play havoc with the media's ability to report, but the terror of abduction places particular psychological challenges on journalists, newsrooms and their families.

What - if anything - can individuals do to increase their personal resilience during the ordeal? Might certain frames of mind help during periods of captivity? How does one manage the demanding transition from captivity back to freedom? What responsibilities do news organisations have towards the families and loved ones of a kidnap victim? What should editors do in the middle of the crisis, and what should they have had in place before a member of their staff is abducted?

Addressing these questions, the panel will include journalists and editors who have experienced abduction together with psychology and safety experts. News teams from the world's richer countries can mobilise impressive resources to protect journalists and their families. The focus here will be on Latin America and Asia and what smaller, less cash-rich, local news organisations and their reporters can do to weather the kidnap threat.

Hosted by Dart Centre

Chair:

Gavin Rees, Director, Dart Centre Europe

Panelists:

 

Cait McMahon, Managing Director, Dart Centre, Australia


Rupert Reid, Security Exchange

Carlos Alberto Giraldo Monsalve, El Colombiano

Wednesday, 3 June 2009, 4:30 p.m., Room C