Safety plan unveiled for freelancers

Press freedom groups and international news organizations unveiled new safety guidelines to protect freelance journalists on Thursday following a series of high-profile kidnappings and murders in conflict zones.

The document, titled "A Call for Global Safety Principles and Practices", lays out seven basic standards for journalists on dangerous assignments.

The guidelines call for training in first aid and hostile environments, securing medical insurance for conflict zones or areas of infectious disease, and obtaining protective gear such as bulletproof vests and helmets.