“Security training improves journalists’ preparedness for war zone work – study November 5, 13:36 Share: 70% of HEFAT training participants report less anxiety when working in dangerous environments. (Photo: DR) Body armor and a helmet do not guarantee the safety of a journalist in war. Without special training, even the presence of protective equipment may not be enough to save lives when working in a combat zone.”, — write on: ua.news
70% of HEFAT training participants note a reduction in anxiety when working in hazardous conditions. (Photo: DR)
A bulletproof vest and helmet do not guarantee a journalist’s safety in war. Without special training, even the presence of protective equipment may not be enough to save lives when working in a combat zone.
In global practice, there is specialized training HEFAT (Hostile Environment and First Aid Training) — the standard of training journalists for work in a hostile environment. The program combines training in tactical medicine, risk assessment, mine safety and digital protection.
The importance of professional security training is constantly growing. Media workers are increasingly becoming targets of attacks, and working in a war zone requires not only professional skills, but also the ability to save lives.
In Ukraine, the HEFAT program is implemented by the 2402 Foundation. Since 2022, the organization has adapted international training standards to the realities of modern warfare and made the course free for Ukrainian media workers.
The training includes working under conditions of artillery shelling, missile strikes and drone attacks, practicing evacuation scenarios and rescuing the wounded. A separate focus is on psychological readiness and the ability to quickly make decisions in critical situations.
Since 2024, the program has been supplemented with a virtual reality component. Two VR scenarios allow you to practice the skills of working during street protests and the use of digital security methods in conditions of hostile attitudes towards journalists.
The effectiveness of such training is confirmed by a recent study by the 2402 Foundation conducted in August-September 2024. According to a survey of HEFAT graduates, 70% of participants report a reduction in anxiety when working in hazardous environments. 53% confirm that they now have better control over their safety in critical situations. From 45 to 97% of respondents rated various components of the program as “very useful”.
Without passing basic security training, a journalist cannot obtain life and health insurance for work in a combat zone. In the world’s leading media, passing HEFAT is a mandatory condition for business trips to hot spots.
With Russia increasing its shelling of civilian infrastructure across the country, the security training of journalists is becoming a matter of survival. Media workers are part of the critical infrastructure, because they provide society with information necessary for protection and resistance.