Guidelines for journalists - Médecins Sans Frontières Australia


	Information for journalists going to the field Bearing witness and speaking out about the humanitarian situation in the places where our medical teams work is core to Médecins Sans Frontières' mandate. The media is a very powerful tool through which we can talk about the plight of the people we help and advocate for change. Wherever possible Médecins Sans Frontières is prepared to facilitate visits to our projects where journalists are travelling to the areas where we work. Médecins Sans Frontières works with journalists in a variety of different ways and each situation and context will be different. With most requests, we can provide information before travelling, give you a briefing and put you in direct contact with our teams on the ground. With more formal arrangements we can organise for journalists to visit our projects for a few days. Often journalists will be able to travel with the Médecins Sans Frontières teams in whatever mode of transport they are using. However, our priority is to get medical equipment and personnel to the place of need, so this may not always be possible. In some cases you will need to make your own arrangements. Please contact Sally McMillan (Médecins Sans Frontières Australia press officer) for more information on Médecins Sans Frontières’s work and visiting our projects. For any journalist travelling to the field, there are a few things to take into account before you go. As doctors and nurses, we have a privileged relationship with the patients we treat. They place themselves in our care and trust us to try and heal them. It is our responsibility to ensure that they come to no harm in our care. Médecins Sans Frontières staff on the ground are instructed to intervene if they witness a journalist acting in a way which may harm the interests of the patient. Be aware that an interviewee (especially if they are also photographed) may be harmed in different ways: stigmatisation, security, dignity, privacy/confidentiality. Médecins Sans Frontières is not generally the “owner” of the medical facilities in which we work – often the structure belongs to the Ministry of Health or local community authority. It is vital that a journalist gets permission from the necessary authorities running the facility before starting to work. Consent: Journalists must be sure to obtain full, informed consent from any patients or staff interviewed in Médecins Sans Frontières health facilities. Consent should be discussed in the exact context with the Head of Mission. Consent negotiations must be carried out in the subject’s native language. National medical staff, (unarmed) guards or logistics staff may well be the best people to translate for you, but please be very clear with them that the patient is perfectly entitled to say no. Security matters: Please be aware that the Médecins Sans Frontières teams will hope to stay in a location long after you leave. We often have to maintain a relationship with the authorities and other political/military actors in the region. Ideally, before you start working in the field, a member of the Médecins Sans Frontières field team will brief you about local security rules. Médecins Sans Frontières staff on the ground will be concerned about the implications that your behaviour might have on their security. Please be understanding about their concern and try and cooperate. On occasion, we may ask to have a visible arms-length relationship with you. You will have a more comfortable time working with Médecins Sans Frontières field teams if you can agree a few practical matters with them in advance. For example, will you be expected to follow the same security rules as expatriates, such as respecting curfews? If you have any questions on any of the above, please contact Sally McMillan, (Médecins Sans Frontières Australia press officer).

Information for journalists going to the field

Bearing witness and speaking out about the humanitarian situation in the places where our medical teams work is core to Médecins Sans Frontières' mandate. The media is a very powerful tool through which we can talk about the plight of the people we help and advocate for change. Wherever possible Médecins Sans Frontières is prepared to facilitate visits to our projects where journalists are travelling to the areas where we work.

Médecins Sans Frontières works with journalists in a variety of different ways and each situation and context will be different. With most requests, we can provide information before travelling, give you a briefing and put you in direct contact with our teams on the ground. With more formal arrangements we can organise for journalists to visit our projects for a few days.

Often journalists will be able to travel with the Médecins Sans Frontières teams in whatever mode of transport they are using. However, our priority is to get medical equipment and personnel to the place of need, so this may not always be possible. In some cases you will need to make your own arrangements.

Please contact Sally McMillan (Médecins Sans Frontières Australia press officer) for more information on Médecins Sans Frontières’s work and visiting our projects.

For any journalist travelling to the field, there are a few things to take into account before you go.

As doctors and nurses, we have a privileged relationship with the patients we treat. They place themselves in our care and trust us to try and heal them. It is our responsibility to ensure that they come to no harm in our care. Médecins Sans Frontières staff on the ground are instructed to intervene if they witness a journalist acting in a way which may harm the interests of the patient.
Be aware that an interviewee (especially if they are also photographed) may be harmed in different ways: stigmatisation, security, dignity, privacy/confidentiality.
Médecins Sans Frontières is not generally the “owner” of the medical facilities in which we work – often the structure belongs to the Ministry of Health or local community authority. It is vital that a journalist gets permission from the necessary authorities running the facility before starting to work.

Consent:

Journalists must be sure to obtain full, informed consent from any patients or staff interviewed in Médecins Sans Frontières health facilities. Consent should be discussed in the exact context with the Head of Mission.
Consent negotiations must be carried out in the subject’s native language. National medical staff, (unarmed) guards or logistics staff may well be the best people to translate for you, but please be very clear with them that the patient is perfectly entitled to say no.

Security matters:

Please be aware that the Médecins Sans Frontières teams will hope to stay in a location long after you leave. We often have to maintain a relationship with the authorities and other political/military actors in the region. Ideally, before you start working in the field, a member of the Médecins Sans Frontières field team will brief you about local security rules. Médecins Sans Frontières staff on the ground will be concerned about the implications that your behaviour might have on their security. Please be understanding about their concern and try and cooperate. On occasion, we may ask to have a visible arms-length relationship with you.
You will have a more comfortable time working with Médecins Sans Frontières field teams if you can agree a few practical matters with them in advance. For example, will you be expected to follow the same security rules as expatriates, such as respecting curfews?

If you have any questions on any of the above, please contact Sally McMillan, (Médecins Sans Frontières Australia press officer).



	Guidelines for journalists

	Information for journalists going to the field Bearing witness and speaking out about the humanitarian situation in the places where our medical teams work is core to Médecins Sans Frontières' mandate. The media is a very powerful tool through which we can talk about the plight of the people we help and advocate for change. Wherever possible Médecins Sans Frontières is prepared to facilitate visits to our projects where journalists are travelling to the areas where we work. Médecins Sans Frontières works with journalists in a variety of different ways and each situation and context will be different. With most requests, we can provide information before travelling, give you a briefing and put you in direct contact with our teams on the ground. With more formal arrangements we can organise for journalists to visit our projects for a few days. Often journalists will be able to travel with the Médecins Sans Frontières teams in whatever mode of transport they are using. However, our priority is to get medical equipment and personnel to the place of need, so this may not always be possible. In some cases you will need to make your own arrangements. Please contact Sally McMillan (Médecins Sans Frontières Australia press officer) for more information on Médecins Sans Frontières’s work and visiting our projects. For any journalist travelling to the field, there are a few things to take into account before you go. As doctors and nurses, we have a privileged relationship with the patients we treat. They place themselves in our care and trust us to try and heal them. It is our responsibility to ensure that they come to no harm in our care. Médecins Sans Frontières staff on the ground are instructed to intervene if they witness a journalist acting in a way which may harm the interests of the patient. Be aware that an interviewee (especially if they are also photographed) may be harmed in different ways: stigmatisation, security, dignity, privacy/confidentiality. Médecins Sans Frontières is not generally the “owner” of the medical facilities in which we work – often the structure belongs to the Ministry of Health or local community authority. It is vital that a journalist gets permission from the necessary authorities running the facility before starting to work. Consent: Journalists must be sure to obtain full, informed consent from any patients or staff interviewed in Médecins Sans Frontières health facilities. Consent should be discussed in the exact context with the Head of Mission. Consent negotiations must be carried out in the subject’s native language. National medical staff, (unarmed) guards or logistics staff may well be the best people to translate for you, but please be very clear with them that the patient is perfectly entitled to say no. Security matters: Please be aware that the Médecins Sans Frontières teams will hope to stay in a location long after you leave. We often have to maintain a relationship with the authorities and other political/military actors in the region. Ideally, before you start working in the field, a member of the Médecins Sans Frontières field team will brief you about local security rules. Médecins Sans Frontières staff on the ground will be concerned about the implications that your behaviour might have on their security. Please be understanding about their concern and try and cooperate. On occasion, we may ask to have a visible arms-length relationship with you. You will have a more comfortable time working with Médecins Sans Frontières field teams if you can agree a few practical matters with them in advance. For example, will you be expected to follow the same security rules as expatriates, such as respecting curfews? If you have any questions on any of the above, please contact Sally McMillan, (Médecins Sans Frontières Australia press officer).