WASHINGTON – Global Post reporter James Foley spent six weeks as a captive in Libya. The Taliban held David Rohde, then of The New York Times, for seven months. French journalists Hervé Ghesquierè and Stéphane Taponier were held hostage in Afghanistan for more than a year.
The organization Human Rights Watch may condemn the act of taking journalists hostage as a war crime, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a very real danger for reporters in war zones. Journalists heading overseas to cover conflicts should be aware of the risks and how to respond in a situation if taken captive.
Before you go and on the ground
- Learn a few phrases in the local language – Know how to identify yourself as a journalist, advises Frank Smyth, journalist security coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists. A few polite phrases never hurt either.
- Consider a hazardous environment training program – Companies such as AKE and Centurion offer training programs – including captive scenarios – for individuals heading to high-risk areas. At the very least, says Lt. Col. James Gregory, “train with the unit you’re going to embed with.” When the war in Iraq started, for example, dozens of soon-to-be embedded journalists went through three- or four-day exercises where they slept, ate, traveled and reported with the troops.
- Get in shape – If you are taken captive, “you aren’t necessarily going to get any medical care,” says Smyth. Head to war zones in the best possible health and take appropriate medical paraphernalia to help stave off problems later.
- Take precautionary measures – Those journalists who think of themselves as observers or non-combatants might not pay as much attention to their surroundings, says Tim Crockett, head of Pioneer Consulting Group and a former hazardous training specialist for AKE. “Raise your level of awareness,” he advises, so that hostile forces do not think you are an easy target.
Capture
- Stay calm – “Overcome your own terror,” says Smyth, who was captured in Iraq while embedded with Kurdish guerrillas. “The moments of capture themselves are often the most dangerous part of the ordeal.” Depending on the situation, says Crockett, the moment of capture may also be the time to draw attention to yourself from non-hostile individuals. These people can then report your whereabouts to authorities.
- Assess the situation – Smyth says one of the first things to do is to establish the motivation driving your captors, who might be operating from a position of fear or treating you as a potential currency. “You have to conduct yourself accordingly,” Smyth says. You should also try to remember as many details about your captors and whereabouts as possible, according to the Reporters Without Borders handbook.
- Engage – “It’s very important to connect with people,” Smyth says. If there are other captives, bond with them and help them remain composed. Attempt to connect with your captors. Don’t suck up, Smyth says, but do get them to see you as a person. The Reporters Without Borders handbook encourages getting kidnappers to call you by name.
- Comply – Reporters Without Borders recommends not resisting or trying to escape from captors unless you are absolutely positive such an attempt will be successful. Agreeing to simple requests and accepting food and water can improve your condition. Continue to interact with your captors, but avoid politics, religion or other inflammatory topics, says Crockett.
- Protect your sources – If at all possible, do not provide information that would injure someone else or compromise your sources. If your captors decide to use physical coercion, how much a reporter chooses to conceal is another matter, and a personal choice, says Smyth.
- Prepare for the long haul – Smyth cautions that a cycle of hope and disappointment can cause a dangerous emotional rollercoaster. “Maintain a sense of hope without being hopeful about any particular hope,” he says. Smyth recommends meditation, while Crockett says that mentally stimulating activities such as designing houses in your head or doing arithmetic can be good distractions.
After you are released
- Get a physical – Check to make sure you haven’t contracted any diseases or shot your blood pressure through the roof from stress, says Smyth.
- Seek out a counselor – Journalists need to recognize that they have had a traumatic experience, says Crockett, and should get counseling even if they feel fine. At the very least, he said, “it’ll spare your friends from having to hear about it.” Friends and family might also want to seek counseling to deal with their own emotions. The Committee to Protect Journalists stresses counseling for those victims of torture and recommends The Marjorie Kovler Center for Survivors of Torture.
