I wanted to do a quick post about the media and their weird relationship with my industry. In one breath they will write entire articles about how immoral privatized security is in war zones, and in that same breath they will get on the phone and hire private security officers for protection in war zones and disasters. Kind of ironic isn’t it?
So I figured I would delve into this concept of the media’s twisted love affair with security contractors, and I came up with some good stuff.
For this deal, I did write several news organizations, and none of them gave a reply back. I will edit, when I get a reply, but no dice so far. The question I wanted answered, is who do they use for security in war zones and disaster zones. Simple question, yet no one wanted to take the time to answer back.
But the pay dirt was contacting the International News Safety Institute. Those guys gave me the low down on who the media goes to for security services, and with that, I got all the juice that I wanted. The three top companies specifically identified by the INSI for these types of high risk services are AKE, TOR International and Chiron Resources. I thought that was cool, and on the INSI website, they even mentioned Armor Group and Hart Security as media supporters. Hart even boasted about providing services to the media in Haiti on their website and at IPOA.
So below, I posted all the quotes I could find, listed under testimonials at all of the company websites mentioned. Notice the big names who just raved about the security services and training given by these companies? lol. I wonder if their bodyguards ever had to loan them a pen while they wrote scathing articles about security contractors and their ‘immoral activities’ in war zones or disasters?
Finally, I hope the journalists reading this post understand that we in the industry know what the real deal is. We know you need us in order to do your business in war zones and disasters. Behind every high dollar Anderson Cooper type, is some guy getting paid handsomely to be the bullet and shrapnel sponge for that journalist. I just hope that a post like this sheds some light on that deed, because I know most of the media is probably too busy to bother writing about such boring things.- Matt
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While nobody can remove all the danger, journalists can do much to anticipate dangers, reduce risks and come through hazardous assignments safely.
Journalists have an individual responsibility to anticipate and reduce dangers and a collective responsibility through their professional organisations and trades unions to campaign for safer working conditions. Journalists, their organisations and their employers, all have a critical function in reducing the unacceptable rate of death and injury.
A range of specialised media support service is available for journalists working in dangerous environments.
This section gives information about media support providers. INSI gathers details from the organisations themselves plus a variety of other sources. Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, but no guarantees can be given. Training may change from time to time and contact details may alter.
Media support services providers are listed in alphabetical order
Link to International News Safety Institute here.
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What the media has to say about AKE
“They’re the industry leaders in training and protecting those of our staff working in harm’s way. Even those of us who think we have nothing to learn have been humbled at the hands of AKE.”
Chris Cramer
(Former) Managing Director, CNN International
“Without AKE’s training, I’m convinced that [my colleague] Bengt wouldn’t be alive today.”
Stefan Borg
Foreign Correspondent, TV4 Sweden
“There are at least two children in Bosnia who owe their lives to this course.”
Robert Adams
Freelance Journalist
“This course is worth several years of accumulated experience to even the most cynical and war weary journalist. It should be compulsory. AKE’s course is concise, intelligently delivered and sorts out fact and reality from fiction and mythology. I came away from the course astonished that we had all survived without it.”
Gary Knight
Freelance Journalist
“The risk awareness and medical components are well balanced, and not only provide the practical information required, but also serve as a sound psychological basis, strengthening journalists in knowing they can help each other and not stand by…The training deals with the real problems faced by all journalists.”
Sarah de Jong
Human Rights and Safety Officer, International Federation of Journalists
“Very useful indeed, the first aid was outstanding, highly recommended.”
Vaughan Smith
Producer, Frontline News Television Ltd
“I found the course thorough, comprehensive, and professional. I learnt a lot of new stuff which is useful in any environment, – hostile or not, but certainly no-one should go to a hostile environment these days without going on this course.”
Tweli Griffiths
Senior Producer, HTV-Wales
“This course…is an essential requirement for the international field journalist.”
Ron McCullagh
Managing Director, Insight News Television Ltd
“Over the past nearly twenty years I’ve reported from dozens of hot spots around the world and initially did not believe the course would be all that helpful. But, I was wrong. I found the Surviving Hostile Regions course to be instructive and insightful for everyone from the veteran to the first time war reporter.”
Art Rascon
Anchor/Special Assignment Reporter
ABC-TV KTRK
Houston, TX
“AKE has worked wonders to significantly heighten the odds of CNN’s journalists staying safe, healthy, and alive in the world’s most dangerous places.”
Eason Jordan
President of Global Newsgathering, CNN
AKE Special Risks considered all the risk factors for our team we deployed to **** and offered us terms on our insurance which saved us a lot of money. We were persuaded by AKE Special Risks to consider the longer term option for our insurance and these arrangements have served us well.
Justine Faram
October Films
“I found the Surviving Hostile Regions course very useful, particularly the first aid. If I ever find myself in a situation where someone has been wounded, at least I now feel somewhat equipped to do something that might save someone… it is very important – I can’t bear to imagine being in a situation where a colleague (or anyone) was injured and you hadn’t the first idea of how to help.”
Sandra Jordan
Reporter
The Observer and Channel 4
“The AKE course I recently completed will be useful in future work as well in my personal life. There are many aspects of the course that can be applied to daily life, not just the places we find ourselves working in. I know I will refer back to the knowledge I have gained for years to come.”
Rich Brooks
Senior Photographer, CNN Photo Pool
“The AKE Surviving Hostile Regions course is short on theatrics and Boys’ Own tales of derring-do, and long on the theory and practice of how to stay out of trouble, and what to do when it all goes horribly wrong. The course’s value lies in the way it heightens your awareness of hazards and risks, while combining that with emergency medical procedures and logistical ideas about what to do if you get stuck. I did a short AKE course in February 1994 and then another in June 2001. In the years in between, I’ve spent time in Chechnya, Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo, Northern Ireland and the Middle East. The latest course taught me lots of things I never knew and reminded me of plenty I’ve forgotten. If there’s a better course for journalists then please tell me.”
Chris Clark
Middle East Correspondent, ABC Australia
“AKE’s Surviving Hostile Regions training course is crucial for anyone in conflict scenarios. It is a theoretical and practical program, pragmatic in its objectives, with sound medical and military information given by the best in the field…for those of us who have to make a living out in the field.”
Amaro Gomez-Pablos
Correspondent, CNN
“As soon as the first session began, I realised I had taken risks in the past which I should not have done. I had once been caught in the middle of ball-bearing crossfire while covering a riot in Belfast, and was hit by a missile. I now have a much clearer grasp of how to get good actuality without becoming a victim myself. The week was intensively but creatively balanced between the theoretical and the pragmatic. In particular, it sharpened my medical awareness.”
Michael Ford
BBC Radio 4
“The medical/first-aid information is really helpful, and wonderfully presented. At the end of the course you’ll be ready to handle car accidents, mine explosions and also have a pretty good idea of how to avoid being hit in the head by a rock or tear-gas canister during a demonstration.”
Jim Teeple
New Delhi Correspondent, Voice of America
“Just wanted to pass along how handy AKE’s training was to me personally on a recent trip…[to]… a very remote area, with no outside communication…I had access to shoot a film [but] I was taken away, along with my camera [and] no translator. Maybe I should have been scared rigid but I never once felt out of control. I really wanted to tell him to get lost, and before your training I would have, but I just kept my mouth shut.”
Bob Hilscher
Cameraman, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
“For sheer professionalism and attention to personal detail, AKE have to be the best. Out in the field, other security ‘experts’ look lame in comparison.”
Nic Robertson
Senior International Correspondent, CNN
Link to AKE here.
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Testimonials for TOR International
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jed [project manager] for his invaluable contribution to the safety of the entire project team at the site and success of this project. He personally made this project a success when it could have easily turned out otherwise! It has been a pleasure working with you on this project and hope to work together again in the future. Lois Muller, Michael Baker Corporation, Afghanistan Project
Very well done. Very impressed with your work on this project. Jonathan Mitchell, RTI Pakistan
Absolutely first class – strongly recommend that Chemonics and other contractors take advantage of working with TOR. Bob Kramer, Director Humanitarian Response, Chemonics
Personally, the instructors were really great…kept their tempo although things were getting out of hand there. That is what we required & they delivered it perfectly. TOR know what they are doing & they are doing it in a very professional way. Adrien Collin, INSI, Congo
Outstanding. I feel everything I learnt on this course will benefit me in a very important way. Patrick Fogarty, RTE
There was a very frank & brotherly exchange between journalists and instructors in this war ravaged Great Lakes region. We really need this kind of training. Kizito Mushizi, Director of Radio Mandeleo, Rwanda
Excellent. Made me wonder how I’ve got away with it for so long. Very glad I did it. Has rounded off quite a few grey areas. Brilliant! Royston Alan Page, NBC
Excellent practically based course content. Adapted at very short notice into condensed format. Took into account previous experience to maximize individual benefit. Pete Gow, CBS
Even though I did my military service, I now know so much more than I did before. This surpassed all my expectations. Thank you. Dahmache Hafid, Editor in Chief, Al Fadjr Daily Newspaper
Link to TOR International here.
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Testimonials for Chiron Resources
BBC Senior Producer: I was the BBC producer working with the Chiron Team in Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester for the UEFA cup broadcasts yesterday (14th May 2008) and just wanted to express how fantastic they were. That also goes too for the other Chiron teams who came to join us as the situation deteriorated. It was the Chiron CPOs who were the first to predict the trouble and rioting that happened and they were incredibly quick to get us to our safe location so we could offer live shots as the trouble started out. If we had delayed by five minutes we would probably have been caught in the middle of it (given the bottles and cans chucked at the stage area we had been at just minutes after we’d got to the safe location!). The Chiron team managed to get us extra kit from the satellite truck which was in the middle of the rioting so we could continue broadcasting, found a way for us to go and gather material safely on the ground during the rioting and to provide lives on the ground later in the evening. A couple of the Chiron team also looked after another BBC staff member who had gone there without security and got caught in the middle of a group of the protesting football fans. They made sure she was safe for the rest of the evening. It was an incredibly long day but they really made the difference to allow us to cover a difficult situation well and safely.
BBC Regional Producer after a short notice request for a CPO to back watch a TV crew in a rough pub: Thanks – it worked out very well. I was utterly impressed at the speed and the quality of the response. You will be glad to know I’ve reminded the rest of the editorial team here of the Chiron numbers. I’m sure you’ll be hearing from us again. only when making an insurance claim does anyone read the small print on an insurance policy, and then they know if they’ve had value for money!
Senior BBC Regional producer:
The security minders you provided for Newcastle’s match on Saturday were excellent. All of my crew were very impressed with their professionalism and they really made our lives much easier.
BBC Producer News & Current Affairs: During the BBC’s coverage of G8, I had the pleasure of working with a Chiron backwatcher at various demonstrations we attended. On Monday at the Faslane, Clyde Submarine Base; on Tuesday, at Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre and at the Murrayfield Stadium ‘Long Walk to Justice’ Concert on Wednesday. He was a delight to work with. The extra pair of eyes and protection he provided for cameramen in crowds was invaluable. I know they speak highly of the reassurance Bob’s presence gave them in sometimes volatile situations. His approach was quiet, but highly professional. To have him close to the satellite truck when crowds were pressed against BBC vehicles was also a great reassurance to our engineers. on my thanks and admiration to him.
Balkans: Chiron was born during the conflict in Kosovo. Clients included: The Sunday Times and Charmian Evans; BBC News with Jeremy Bowen and Jonathan Charles; The Japanese TV station NHK.
Afghanistan: Chiron teams deployed with BBC News to Afghanistan. Andy Faulkner, a mountain leader expert led a BBC News, on foot, over the mountains. Other tasks were for High Definition TV with the veteran US war correspondent Peter Arnett; Nickel Odeon TV: CBC News covering the deployment of Canadian troops; and ITN in 2009.
Iraq: Chiron supported BBC and BSkyB media crews as the advanced with the fighting units during the second Gulf War. Since the War Chiron has supported BBC News and Documentaries throughout Iraq, Ch4 and Jon Snow, RTE, CBC with Don Murray and Heather Abbott getting exceptional coverage of the Iraq elections, and October Films as they made their successful documentary ‘The Insurgency’.
Africa: Chiron deployed to support BBC News in Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and Darfur Province in Sudan. Support was also provided to BBC Religion in Tunisia & Morocco.
Europe: A good knowledge of the local area of Saltsburg and Genoa meant that Chiron operators could provide a unique support to BBC News during the World Economic Forum and the G8 Summit. Other assignments include: Euro 2000 (Belgium & Holland) and 2004 (Portugal) football; football matches in Turkey; ‘doorstep’ interviews in Spain; and filming on the Stromboli volcano.
Israel/Lebanon: Chiron provided consultants to with TV crews in both Lebanon and Israel during the 2006 War. More recently in Gaza 2009
Pakistan: Coverage of the 2008 Elections and the 2009 CI campaign
Georgia: Coverage of the 2008 August War.
War Reporting has always been a very dangerous profession. The risks are huge, as are the rewards, but some do not live to tell their story. Chances of survival can be increased with good and detailed planning and by taking sensible precautions. What is your life worth?
Chris Cobb-Smith supported the BBC during the Lebanon conflict.
The Alan Johnston kidnap highlights that Journalism is now a very dangerous profession – illustrated in the BBC Report below:
Chris Cobb-Smith deployed to Georgia supporting a BBC TV News teams during the 2008 august War.
Just a quick note to say how impressed I am with the work of the Chiron safety advisers over the past few weeks. They’ve done some great work including sourcing a garage and a mechanic for the broken armoured, organizing the flights out, researching our routes to the airport and strengthening security at the bureau and in the street. It’s all been done with minimum fuss, maximum imagination and effort. Their calmness and positive attitude during what’s been quite a difficult time has been enormously appreciated. Thanks again to everyone.
Link to Chiron Resources here.
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18 January 2010
Hart is currently in Haiti supporting clients from the fields of media, consultancy and medical in their disaster recovery efforts. Hart can arrange security, risk mangement and logisical services for people travelling to Haiti. Contact ckee@hartsecurity.com or +4420 77510771 or +357 25879682 for further information.
BBC
Hart has deployed Security Managers with BBC reporters in areas such as Zimbabwe, the Congo and Sudan, as well as in Iraq. As the crew’s personal security detail, we are able to serve as both cultural liaison and facilitator, setting up contacts and meetings, while conducting rolling assessments. Thus we ensure that our clients are not exposed to unacceptable risk whilst doing their job. This type of service necessitates skill and professionalism (including an understanding of culture and knowledge of languages).
United Nations World Food Programme
Hart conducts detailed, multi-layered security risk assessment programmes that cover all aspects of World Food Programme activities in many different countries. This includes political risk assessments, covering likely developments that will affect security in the country, through to a thorough analysis of threats to operations and personnel and compliance with established security protocols and legislation.
Link to Hart Security here.