When your local reporter needs the same protection as a war correspondent - Poynter

"When federal immigration operations began sweeping across Los Angeles in June, our newsroom worked around the clock. I didn't have to tell them to. No one wanted to stop. One reporter's family members were being followed. Another staffer's family went into hiding - despite having legal status. Sources we'd cultivated for years suddenly wouldn't answer calls. At LA Public Press, a 14-person nonprofit newsroom led"

"by and largely staffed by people of color who grew up in the neighborhoods we cover, everyone on staff was personally touched by the raids in some way. We weren't covering some abstract story happening to other people. We were covering home. By July, I had to force people to take weekends off. Soon after, every other Friday became mandatory time away."

"It took us weeks to realize we were facing the same dangers as foreign correspondents in conflict zones - the threat of violence, retaliation and the exhaustion of sustained trauma coverage. But we didn't have their security teams, legal protections or institutional support. The protections that don't exist International news organizations rotate correspondents out of conflict zones. They provide hostile environment training, security consultants, trauma counselors and legal teams specializing in protecting journalists in dangerous situations."

Federal immigration operations swept across Los Angeles in June, prompting nonstop newsroom coverage. Reporters and staff experienced direct impacts: family members followed, relatives hiding despite legal status, and long-standing sources stopping communication. A 14‑person nonprofit newsroom led and largely staffed by people of color covered neighborhoods where staff grew up. Coverage caused exhaustion and blurred boundaries between professional reporting and personal life. Management mandated weekends off and alternating Fridays to preserve staff wellbeing. The team recognized threats similar to conflict-zone reporting but lacked security teams, legal protections or institutional support. The newsroom organized emergency training with the International Women's Media Foundation, drawing over 70 journalists.

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