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The time to craft a safety plan is before — not after — a tragedy strikes. And not the days before you send reporters into the field to cover a protest or event. Now.

Here are three safety considerations for news leaders and editors:

Lean on expert institutions that specialize in risk assessment for reporting in hostile environments, digital security audits, and legal vetting. Some examples include The International Women’s Media Foundation, Freedom of the Press Foundation, First Amendment Coalition, and ProJourn.

Invest in standard trauma tools (i.e tourniquets) and training on how to use them. Press helmets, badges, and vests are the basics. Go beyond that and consider providing equipment like Faraday bags, which are designed to protect phones from interference and can prevent law enforcement from tampering with your sensitive information.

Train your staff on best practices for phone use, such as enabling airplane mode while in the field, disabling Face/Touch ID, and creating strong passwords to unlock your devices.

See more advice a recent Institute panel on how editors managers can support staff amid coverage in hostile environments.

National Press Club awards Karim Melek with the 2026 Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship

The National Press Club has selected Karim Melek of Palatine, Illinois, as the recipient of its 2026 Richard G. Zimmerman Journalism Scholarship. The $5,000 award is given to an exceptional high school senior who plans to pursue a career in journalism.

Melek, a senior at Palatine High School, impressed the judges with stellar leadership at his school’s newspaper, The Cutlass, where he serves as editor-in-chief.

He also founded The Illinois New Voices Coalition, a statewide, student-driven movement to strengthen press freedom and adviser protections in Illinois.

“When I discovered a loophole in Illinois law that allowed schools to censor student journalists by targeting their advisers, I drafted House Bill 2932 to close it. I worked with lawyers from the Student Press Law Center, coordinated with legislative staff, and mobilized 45 student advocates across the state,” Melek said in his application essay.

“The bill died in committee. I founded the Illinois New Voices Coalition anyway, because I understood by then that press freedom is not abstract. It is the condition that makes all the other stories possible.”

Melek will attend Northwestern University in the fall, with plans to study journalism and political science.

“Karim’s energetic, creative advocacy for student journalists across Illinois speaks to a remarkable professional maturity and sense of purpose,” said National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. “We are proud to invest in his future at the Medill School of Journalism and look forward to watching his journalism career develop.”

National Press Club scholarships are administered by the Institute, the non-profit affiliate of the Club. Support our student-focused programming with a donation today .

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The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes First Amendment values by equipping journalists in Washington, D.C., and nationwide with the skills, knowledge, standards, resources and networks to empower and inform the public. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest. The Institute's tax ID number is 52-1750908.