Two leading organizations dedicated to press freedom launched JESS (Journalist Expert Safety Support), an AI-powered tool designed to give journalists, editors and news organizations working across the United States greater access to essential safety information and guidance.
Purpose built for journalist safety planning, JESS draws on a best-in-class knowledge base of security resources and expert guidance provided by content partners and developed by Mike Christie, former head of safety at Reuters, and a leading authority in the field. JESS is engineered for privacy. All interactions are confidential, and no session data is shared.
JESS has two features:
The ask a safety question feature delivers clear, practical, sourced answers drawn from JESS’s expert knowledge base. Journalists can ask questions specific to their situation — covering protests, digital security, harassment, extreme weather and more — and receive concise guidance alongside links to original source materials, available to download for offline use.
The build a safety plan feature takes journalists through a structured risk assessment for an upcoming assignment and generates a personalized safety plan they can save, edit and take into the field. This feature is currently in beta and will continue to evolve based on user feedback. It’s also available in beta via MCP integration, so journalists can build a safety plan directly inside their Claude or ChatGPT accounts.
Read more from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism
