The International News Safety Institute (INSI) is happy to announce that the German broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) has become its latest member.

The public broadcaster, which is based in Cologne, is the biggest member of the German public-broadcasting network ARD.

INSI is a member-based safety organisation offering a vital forum for networking and information sharing via its membership portal, alerts and advisories, workshops, regional meetings and webinar discussions.

“We are thrilled to welcome WDR to INSI and know that its experience and insight will be of great benefit to other INSI members. INSI is needed now more than ever to help keep journalists safer and we are pleased to continue expanding our network in Germany,” said assistant director Anna Bevan.

WDR joins a growing network of members including Reuters, the BBC, ABC, CNN, Al Jazeera and many more of the world’s top news outlets. The GroundTruth Project and the Al Arabiya television network also joined INSI earlier this year. “Working in hostile environments is a daily task for our expats and local crews in the ARD/WDR foreign offices around the globe,” said WDR’s Head of High Risk Tom Sievers.

“With a huge network like INSI and their international members, WDR can exceedingly benefit from sharing knowledge and experience with other broadcasters and organizations. “Enhancing safety for our local crews and staff is a major concern for WDR. By becoming a member of the INSI network, we are confident we will improve security and safety standards for our colleagues working in hostile environments, as well as exchanging invaluable expertise.”

INSI’s biannual Killing the Messenger report into journalist casualties found that 35 media workers were killed in the first six months of 2017. Most were local journalists in conflict zones like Afghanistan, but with domestic terror attacks and online harassment on the rise, journalists wherever they work are facing greater risks.