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The following guidance has been compiled from Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Student Press Law Center, Medill Justice Project, International Federation of Journalists, International News Safety Institute, Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, and the personal experiences of professional journalists. While these guidelines are not exhaustive, they represent common-sense practices for asserting your rights as a journalist and staying safe while reporting.

These guidelines are created for students reporting for courses in the UMass Journalism Department. They may be useful, too, for students reporting for campus media, such as Amherst Wire, the Daily Collegian, the Rebirth Project, UVC-TV and WMUA, as well as when you graduate and head into your first jobs.