“Think of worst-case, best-case scenarios”: Journalists on assessing risk before a dangerous story

By Hubbah Abdi, NPCJI Press Freedom Fellow

For journalists covering high-tension events, risk has long been part of the job. But the dynamics of those risks are changing. 

Increasingly, journalists must prepare not only for chaotic environments but also for the possibility of becoming themselves targets while doing their reporting. 

As reporters face increasing hostility while covering protests, policing and immigration enforcement, the Institute spoke to KARE 11 reporter and anchor Jana Shortal and LA Taco investigative journalist Lexis-Olivier Ray, who shared lessons on personal risk assessment driven from their own reporting experiences.

Changing risks

Journalists say that the risks reporters face in the field are changing. For Shortal, covering the unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd in 2020 demonstrated that unpredictable turn-of-events required constant awareness and staying connected to your team. 

Years later, while covering ICE and CBP’s Operation Metro Surge, Shortal encountered a new set of challenges. “Immigration officials were more reactive, and scenes were chaotic, and it was extremely cold,” she said. 

“This was a situation where events were happening every single day in different areas… one after another after another. The chaos of that and the duration were both a physical and mental risk.”

During this time, Shortal said she was physically confronted despite being clearly identified as a member of the media. 

“It was a jarring experience as I was behind a press line, by myself… and I just started being shoved,” she said. 

“When I told them not to do that, an agent came right up to me, 20 inches from my face, and inserted a chemical almost directly into my eye,” she said. “It was shocking. And for zero reasons.” 

“At that point I learned, as so many did, this was not a normal enforcement, and rules were absent for many of these agents for reasons I may never know,” she said. “Learning that meant reporting was going to be that much harder.” 

Ray shares similar sentiments during years of reporting demonstrations and police activity in Los Angeles.

“I’ve encountered from being detained and arrested, you know, shot with what they call less lethal projectiles, shoved with batons,” he said. “Those experiences have certainly taught me about what’s capable, what the police are capable of, or people in power are capable of.”

Ray described that his views on personal risk changed after being detained while covering a May Day protest in Los Angeles. “After I got detained, I remember being distracted and thinking constantly, if I take another step into the street, are they going to cite me again?” he said. “It definitely had a chilling effect on my reporting.” 

Assess the situation before you arrive 

Shortal and Ray said their personal experiences informed how they conduct a personal risk assessment. Risk assessment is not about avoiding difficult stories, they said. It is about understanding what could happen and preparing accordingly. 

“First, know if you want to do it. It’s not for everyone,” Shortal said.

That preparation starts before a journalist ever steps into the field. Ray encouraged journalists and newsroom editors to begin with a simple question. 

“What sort of story are you trying to tell?” he said. “There’s really no point in taking a bunch of risks if it’s not going to help you tell your story.” 

Ray advised journalists to consider multiple possibilities of what might happen as they report. 

“Think of worst-case, best-case sort of scenarios,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that journalists have to think like that, but being aware of the possibilities and preparing accordingly allows you to do your job safely.”

Before heading into a potentially volatile environment, journalists should consider factors such as crowd behavior, weather conditions, access to communication, transportation options and available support if conditions get worse. Those considerations can help reporters respond more effectively when circumstances change. 

Identifying risks is only part of the process. A risk assessment should shape decisions before and during an assignment, from determining whether the reporting objective justifies a potential danger to choosing protective equipment, establishing communication plans and knowing when conditions have become unsafe enough to leave the scene. 

“You can’t tell your story if you’re in handcuffs, if your camera equipment is broken or if you’re injured,” Ray said. 

Prepare for the worst 

Preparation must include planning for emergencies before they happen. 

Shortal said journalists should carry lawyers’ contact information, and even write phone numbers on their arms in case they are detained while reporting. 

“Some of us wrote those on our arms knowing if ICE took us to [ICE holding facility] Whipple, they would likely take our personal belongings, and the only way out was a lawyer contact,” Shortal recalled. 

Ray said journalists should be prepared to document any assaults, detentions, arrests or other confrontations with law enforcement, ideally by recording the incident themselves or ensuring others nearby capture what happened. 

He also recommended preparing contact information of attorneys, press advocates and others who can help if problems arise — especially for freelancers and independent journalists who may not have the resources of a newsroom behind them.

“Do your people know where you are, at all times?” Shortal said. 

Safety doesn’t end when the assignment does 

Risk assessment does not end when an assignment is over. Journalists should plan time to decompress after covering stressful events, discuss filing expectations with editors in advance and recognize when they need to step back to avoid burnout. 

Repeated exposure to stressful and hostile environments can take a toll over time, both journalists stressed.  

“It does get more and more challenging to do this work overtime,” Ray said. “Be careful of burning yourself out.” 

Shortal urged newsroom leaders to be prepared to check in with journalists after difficult assignments and provide meaningful support, including time off when needed. She also encouraged editors to slow down reporters who rush into volatile situations, warning that “staff cowboys” who charge into scenes without adequate preparation can put themselves at unnecessary risk.

“Your crew safety is number one, and that isn’t just physical, it’s mental,” she said. “Check in and offer real help like PTO after it settles.” 

Key takeaways 

• Assess the risks before every assignment: Take time to evaluate the environment, identify potential hazards and think through how quickly conditions could change once you arrive.
• Prepare for the worst-case scenario: Have a plan for emergencies, including protective equipment, legal contacts, communication plans and an exit strategy.
• Don’t take risks that don’t serve the story: Keep the reporting goal in focus and consider if it’s worthwhile to put yourself in danger for information, images or access that won’t meaningfully strengthen your journalism.
• Protect your mental health as carefully as your physical safety: Build in time to decompress, recognize the impact of repeated exposure to traumatic events and seek support before stress and exhaustion become burnout.