When speaking of security training for reporters, people often think about “high-risk” beats, or journalists who work in dangerous areas: conflict zones, places with oppressive regimes, or regions experiencing hurricanes, floods or other natural disasters. But digital safety is just as important to journalists. A 2022 Pew Research Center survey of nearly 12,000 journalists found that more than 40% of them experienced online threats and harassment in the previous year.
Health and science journalists are no exception to this problem, particularly as issues such as climate change, trans health issues, and the health fallout of systemic racism are increasingly polarized subjects. A journalist on “any beat is subject to significant online harassment depending on the environment, and the mood of the country,” said Neena Kapur, senior director of information security at The New York Times.
In the coming year, Kapur is keen to watch “what the rhetoric is from different governments, including the U.S., around key health issues like vaccines and abortion, and how the online environment mirrors that, especially from a threats and harassment standpoint,” she says. “From an online security perspective, that’s what we’re watching for next year.”
New terrain
The spaces where journalists work — both physical and virtual — are changing rapidly. In the face of climate change, science and health journalists will increasingly need to consider issues of safety when covering storms or wildfires. And digital threats are likely to evolve as people’s use of social media platforms shifts, particularly as communities migrate from X (formerly Twitter) to other platforms such as TikTok, Bluesky, or independent podcasts or newsletters.
Online conversations and the nature of threats in these spaces might change depending on how they mature, Kapur explained. “There’s just massive overlap in the digital and physical security space for reporters,” Kapur said. “It’s important to highlight that even though sometimes we treat them separately, there’s such significant overlap that it’s important to kind of think about security more holistically.”
Whether covering a beat for years or launching into a new area of reporting that could prove contentious, all journalists can benefit from taking a beat to consider the tools they use and spruce up their digital safety and security practices.
Four top tips
- Protect passwords. Use strong passwords and additional tools such as two-factor authentication via an authenticator app, rather than messaging. “I will die on the two-factor authentication hill,” Kapur said.
- Trusted communication channels. Reporters have to meet sources where they are, and that can often mean using platforms such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or other messaging services. While journalists can’t always choose the platform, they can be watchful about what information they share on these services — and stay aware of how much of their data is retained by companies. When possible, turn to encrypted communication tools such as Signal, which store very little personal information, Kapur said.
- Vet your third-party tools. Journalists often use third-party tools such as recording software or transcription services. Data in these accounts may be owned by the company and could be turned over in the event of a subpoena.
- Cellphone safety. Cellphones are often more confusing than laptops when it comes to digital security, Kapur said, because they often hold more of an overlap of our work and personal lives. As such, a cellphone that’s targeted or compromised can have consequences that ripple beyond work alone. But they’re also easy to protect. “It’s really hard for malware to be persistent on a phone if it reboots, which is different than a computer,” Kapur noted. The easiest route to safety is to simply turn your phone off and back on. “It’s just a great practice to do daily.”
