Haiti is one of the region’s most dangerous countries for media personnel. Journalists in the country work under very-challenging conditions marked by political instability and the pervasive threat of organised criminal gangs, which operate with near impunity. They face severe threats, including harassment and arbitrary detention by state security forces and accusations of defamation and anti-state activities. This is against a wider backdrop of repressed civic space and violence and kidnappings across the country, which further endangers their safety.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has recorded the killings of 12 journalists in the country in the last 10 years. It has also documented numerous cases of journalists in the country being kidnapped or forced to flee due to direct threats.

“Some journalists were kidnapped because they were driving through difficult neighbourhoods”, explained Maude Malengrez, who led the media programme at the Fondation Connaissance et Liberté (FOKAL) in Haiti. “Others were kidnapped while trying to cover dangerous stories”, she said. These threats are particularly acute in urban centres, like the capital, Port-au-Prince, where criminal gangs wield significant influence and law enforcement struggles to protect journalists.

Overcoming barriers through partnership and co-design

To address these challenges, FOKAL asked Open Briefing to provide safety and security training to a cohort of Haitian journalists. FOKAL had been introduced to us by the ACOS Alliance, a global coalition of news organisations, press freedom NGOs, and journalists associations. FOKAL, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering a just and democratic society in Haiti, supports journalists through a dedicated media programme. They intensified their efforts to protect journalists following a surge in kidnappings and attacks in late 2020. But they had been unable to find a suitable security trainer in Haiti due to local perceptions of journalists.

Following extensive consultation and co-design with FOKAL and the ACOS Alliance, members of Open Briefing’s safety and security team conducted five days of security workshops for 36 Haitian journalists. Travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic made in-person training by our team impossible. Fortunately, we are highly experienced in designing and delivering remote training and accompaniment, including in situations where communications are unreliable. Nonetheless, we recognised that partnership and co-design were going to be even more important than usual if we were to overcome a number of challenges.

First, the emotional weight of the training and the stressful security environment required building significant trust and empathy with participants. Even on the first day of the training, FOKAL was responding to the disappearance of several journalists in the capital. By including a local psychologist in the sessions, we were able to provide practical support for journalists dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as gain vital cultural understanding for our own team.

Second, Haiti’s volatile security situation meant that different types of journalists required highly-adaptable security protocols.. So we developed tailored training sessions to address the unique risks faced by staff journalists and freelancers, for example.

The workshops covered wide-ranging practices, from informing newsrooms of plans and sharing real-time location using apps to sexual harassment awareness. Participants received advice on working in remote and hostile environments and how to prepare for unforeseen events, including having to work with different vehicles.

Through interactive sessions, participants contributed to and learnt about security procedures and emergency protocols. The collaborative nature of the workshops allowed journalists to share their own safety measures, enriching the training with practical, context-specific insights. FOKAL also created guidebooks, posters, and social media content with essential security checklists to extend the workshop’s impact.

Shifting perceptions of safety and security

Melengrez noted a positive response from participants, who initially doubted the effectiveness of security protocols in Haiti’s volatile environment. “We didn’t have expertise in Haiti regarding the safety of journalists”, she said. Nor did they have “practical daily tips to organise your newsroom to ensure safety”, she added.

Melengrez recalled a young photojournalist, who had not adopted any safety protocols, despite covering a story involving a prominent gang leader. “He went to a friend to borrow a camera, saying that he would meet with a gang leader. He worked alone. He went without coordination or a safety net”, she told us. The precaution of simply sharing one’s location was not commonplace in Haiti. The photojournalist was killed.

Melengrez emphasised the role of our workshops in transforming mindsets and equipping journalists with practical measures to mitigate risks. “They now understand that there are things they can do to mitigate the risks they face as journalists”, she said. Melengrez shared that Open Briefing had filled a critical gap and acted as a springboard for many journalists accessing further training.

New champions for safety and wellbeing

Participants, including high-profile investigative journalist Roberson Alphonse, committed to supporting less-experienced colleagues by passing on the knowledge and practical support that they gained in the workshops. Roberson – who had previously survived a shooting in Port-au-Prince – later worked with FOKAL to produce a video about the importance of safety and security protocols for journalists in Haiti.

Following the training, Open Briefing provided further institutional support to FOKAL by advising on communication strategies and readiness protocols to manage stress and maintain operational control during times of heightened security threats. Recognising the impact of constant physical security risks on wellbeing, our counsellors provided critical psychological support. We also delivered executive coaching to help FOKAL’s leadership design new strategic objectives, clarify team roles, and define a roadmap for programmatic development. Melengrez noted that this holistic and preventative approach was crucial for staff dealing with extreme stress and hyper-vigilance arising from external threats and internal changes.

FOKAL has since continued to expand its support networks for journalists in Haiti, distributing safety kits, and disseminating printed and digital safety resources.

The partnership of Open Briefing’s holistic security expertise and FOKAL’s country knowledge and networks formed the perfect foundation from which to navigate Haiti’s volatile security environment successfully. Open Briefing was proud to act in solidarity with FOKAL and the incredible journalists and newsrooms that they support across Haiti.