INSI:CNN anchor Michael Holmes to moderate major safety debate at launch of INSI North America

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To mark the launch of International News Safety Institute in North America, CNN anchor, Michael Holmes, will moderate a major debate on journalistic safety, featuring a panel of celebrated news professionals.  Panelists Richard Engel (Chief Foreign Correspondent of NBC News), Santiago Lyon  (AP Director of Photography), Cami McCormick (correspondent for CBS News), David Lee Miller (correspondent for Fox News) and our own Hannah Storm will discuss safety, risk and competition in dangerous times. The Year of Living Dangerously   Better News in Future? A Practical Response to the Murder of Journalism As news people in North America and around the globe focus on an unprecedented year of momentous and historic events, the International News Safety Institute is launching a major initiative to reduce the risks facing frontline journalists and news staff. This has truly been the year of reporting – dangerously for journalists around the globe.  The Arab Spring – a blossoming of hope for millions – has been fatal for many brave journalists. Already 14 of our friends and colleagues have died. Others have been sexually assaulted, injured or taken prisoner. INSI is the global coalition of media and news support groups which has been campaigning for a culture of safety in journalism since 2003. On October 14th it will be meeting in New York and launching a new safety campaign targeting media and journalists across North America. You are invited to join the debate with industry leaders and distinguished journalists posing hard-edged questions about journalism and safety in these dangerous days. Are our people taking too many risks? Is safety tossed aside in the heat of competitive reporting? Does technology take us too close to danger? What are the future challenges and dangers for journalism in the new and open information environment? At a time when news media are forced to cut back on resources in the teeth of a global recession and industry restructuring of the industry itself overseas assignments are being reduced and safety training eliminated. Is this a false economy that can lead to increased pressure on media people in the front line of danger? The International News Safety Institute has helped dozens of media outlets by providing a safety information network and by raising money to provide free safety training for journalists in the developing world. We have trained journalists and media staff working in some of the world’s most troubled regions – more than 2,000 in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. We have coordinated an internal safety forum of major news media in the Middle East and Africa, gleaning information that has made operations safer. But much more needs to be done. We need more practical actions both at home and in the field to save lives and reduce the risks facing media staff. And we need to recognise that as long as journalists are subject to intimidation, threats and preventable risk there can be no democracy or press freedom. Join us for a debate on how to take this campaign forward and to analyse these critical issues with our panel of prominent journalists. The event is open to all, so please join us to mark the launch of INSI North America. PLACE:  The Associated Press - 450 W. 33rd St. (at 10th Ave.) - New York, NY DATE: 14 October 2011 TIME: 4 PM – 5 PM  RSVP to: Maria Amentas     mamentas@ap.org or 212-621-7963 Copyright 2011 by International News Safety Institute. All worldwide rights reserved.