The OPC’s participation in the process of formulating and now promulgating the first-ever news industry standards for safety goes to the core of our mission: promoting and building excellence in foreign correspondence.
The protocols also align with the OPC in another aspect: our reorganization to tackle the challenges of today’s foreign correspondents, who are increasingly freelancers and local journalists.
I could not be happier that the OPC is a part of such a broad and storied group of news organizations, journalist groups and press-freedom watchdogs. We are all stronger in one another’s company. And most importantly, as momentous as these guidelines are, they are only the beginning. This is just the first step in a process that will include conferences and possibly a formal consortium to deal with these issues and others as foreign news coverage expands.
It is about time. Indeed, it is past time. And I am deeply proud of the OPC and the OPC Foundation’s part in this long overdue effort. Like I said, it is just the beginning.
Click here to read a statement from the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma
Click here to read the new safety standards: A Call for Global Safety Principles and Practices