The book, which was written with Professor Robert Picard from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University, has been called “the most comprehensive and useful account to date of every journalist’s worst nightmare” by The Sunday Times foreign correspondent Christina Lamb, OBE. Published by IB Taurus, The Kidnapping of Journalists: Reporting from High Risk Conflict Zones, highlights the challenges facing news organisations - in attempting to protect journalists and in responding to the kidnap of one of their own - and reporters working in dangerous locations. It also looks at the situation for freelancers who lack organisational protection and therefore often face an even bigger risk. In 2015, the number of journalists held hostage worldwide rose by 35 per cent from the previous year. The vulnerability of journalists to kidnapping in certain conflict zones was starkly illustrated by the killing of James Foley and Steven Sotloff by Islamic militants in 2014. Their murders highlighted the risks taken by journalists and news organisations in covering developments in dangerous parts of the world. The BBC’s Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet OBE has said of the publication: “Journalists are no longer just reporting from dangerous front lines, they are the front line for kidnappers - this is essential reading for anyone who works with this worst of risks.’ The authors of this new book suggest essential best practices for preventing and responding to the horror of a kidnap, based on the real experiences of British journalists Colin Freeman and Anthony Loyd, among others, and they explore the controversial debate on the payment of ransoms and the implications of high media coverage of kidnappings. Get your copy here. Lessons from journalists’ kidnappings The following basic suggestions may help journalists avoid kidnapping before it happens. (More exhaustive suggestions and tactics are usually provided in safety training programmes.) • Take hostile environment/safety training. • Be aware of the dangers in your location. • Plan your activities carefully. • Complete a risk assessment; have and understand the contingency plans in place (both of your own and your media organisation). • Consider details that might help in the event that proof of life needs to be determined. • Make sure your employer and family know where you are and who you are meeting. • Have a communications plan in place, with contact numbers and Next of Kin (NOK) details left with your employer and colleagues in the field. • Be wary of who you work with – do as much due diligence as possible, but also be aware that individuals and groups may change their allegiances without warning. • Ensure that your social media profile does not compromise your safety. • Carry clean laptops, phones, etc.; think about using aliases for contacts. • Do not make yourself a target. Blend in so that you are not easily identifiable as a journalist when travelling. • Understand what your employer and colleagues will be doing on your behalf. • Do what you have to do to survive and escape. • Understand that kidnappings are traumatic and require recovery time and counselling afterwards. This advice is taken from The Kidnapping of Journalists: Reporting from High Risk Conflict Zones