Meta Launches Fresh Online Journalism Safety Course

Meta launched a fully renovated free online digital security and safety training course. It’s created for journalists and human rights defenders to help both groups defend their privacy, oppose harassment attempts, and more. The course is super-timely as Russia is rapidly criminalizing independent journalism and blames foreign media for spreading misinformation about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

Course Content

The program of the course has been developed in collaboration with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and the Border Center for Journalists and Bloggers (BCJB) and you can download it on the website of the first. 

The 90-minute course includes 4 main modules, such as:

• Opposing online harassment;

• Secure use of social media;

• Secure reporting from difficult situations;

• Building an effective digital security foundation. 

Besides, Meta will soon launch a series of webinars for journalists and civil society advocates to help them pick up more practical skills. 

Media Outrage

Russia’s Roskomnadzor has already blocked Facebook and Twitter and forced BBC and many other news outlets to stop their operations in Russia. Using the new recommendations by Meta, journalists will be able to operate safely under the new media reality. Hopefully, the course will help journalists understand their current options more clearly and be ready to react properly while facing any threats offline and online. 

Safety First

If you are a journalist or a human rights defender, the new Meta’s course is highly recommended to you. Your safety is very important for the whole world as supplying nations with independent information is crucial today. Have you already seen the course? What do you think about it? Share your opinion below, ask any questions on the topic, and share the news on social media.