Reporta is a free mobile security application released by the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF). It was developed in response to the increasing threats faced by journalists worldwide, especially those working in high-risk environments. Reporta helps journalist augment existing security protocols and trainings such as the Hostile Environment and Emergency First Aid Training (HEFAT). Reporta enables journalists to bolster their security protocols. It allows the issuing of video, audio, or image notifications to a pre-designated list of contacts. The app has three essential features: a check-in system that allows journalists to provide key information about their location, a customisable alert function that allows journalists to let key contacts know that their safety or that of a colleague’s is in danger, and finally an SOS button that can be activated to send an emergency notification. Reporta can potentially bridge the response time in a situation of crisis by ensuring a real time SOS update.
Rapporteur for the session: Jens Kiesheyer, Program Coordinator, Fragile Africa, Free Press Unlimited.
