Journalists in Yaoundé recently completed an intensive one-day training focused on critical safety skills essential for modern reporting. The session covered key topics including pre-assignment risk assessment, crisis response protocols, source protection, and trauma management for journalists exposed to distressing content.
Building resilience in high-risk reporting environments
Yanick Bezang, Project Coordinator for Cameroun Média Plus, emphasized that safety has become a non-negotiable aspect of professional journalism today. “Covering conflicts, natural disasters, protests, or political unrest requires more than just storytelling skills. Journalists must prioritize their personal security without compromising their duty to inform. This training provides practical tools to navigate dangerous situations with greater confidence,” he stated during the opening session.
The program responds directly to the challenges faced by media workers operating in complex environments across Cameroon. From the ongoing crisis in the North-West and South-West regions to climate-related emergencies and politically sensitive events, journalists often work under extreme pressure where personal safety cannot be an afterthought.
Daily habits that save lives
Lead trainer Blaise Atabong Amindeh stressed that security awareness should be integrated into routine journalistic practice. “The strongest protection any journalist can have is thorough preparation. Recognizing potential threats, evaluating surroundings, securing travel routes, and protecting communications channels are skills that can prevent dangerous situations from escalating. Safety isn’t an obstacle to good journalism—it’s the foundation of sustainable reporting,” he explained during the practical exercises.
Firsthand account: from theory to practice
Participant Larissa Ndjakomo shared how the training transformed her approach to fieldwork. “We often focus so intensely on gathering stories that we overlook the dangers we’re exposing ourselves to. This session taught me to think differently about risk management. I’m leaving with actionable strategies I can apply immediately during my next assignments,” she noted, reflecting on the day’s lessons.
The Yaoundé training marks the third in a series of nationwide workshops organized across all ten regions of Cameroon as part of the Cameroun Média Plus project. Implemented through a collaboration with the International Federation of Journalists, these sessions aim to cultivate a more secure, professional, and resilient media landscape throughout the country.