A safety system built for a teaching newsroom
Case study
Temple University, Klein College of Media and Communication
PhiladelphiaNeighborhoods.com capstone newsroom
Snapshot
Client
Temple University, Klein College of Media and Communication
Newsroom
PhiladelphiaNeighborhoods.com capstone
Context
Student reporters covering neighborhoods across Philadelphia, often working solo or in pairs
The challenge
Students were doing ambitious reporting in a large city. Experience levels varied. Safety decisions were inconsistent. There was no shared written system for assignments, incidents, or aftercare.
Faculty and editors cared about safety, but most guidance lived in individual conversations, course by course norms, and scattered reminders.
What we built
A newsroom safety system organized across four areas.
- Field safety
- Digital and online safety
- Privacy and policy
- Mental health and resilience
Key pieces
Escalation and contact chain
A simple who to call path for different incidents
De-escalation and disengagement scripts so students know what to say, when to leave, and how to get backup
Outcomes
- Shared expectations for students and faculty
- More confident reporting with clearer boundaries and backup
- A reusable framework the program can update each year
- A template now used to inform work with other teaching newsrooms and local outlets
Want a similar safety system for your newsroom or program?
Reach out to discuss an audit or a pilot project.