If confrontations at Donald Trump rallies are any indication, the Republican National Convention in July may see some of the most exciting – and potentially violent – street protests in recent years, and reporters are being schooled on how to ride out the chaos.
It’s not cheap, but a group that usually prepares journalists and nonprofit workers for problems in sub-Saharan Africa or conflict zones in Syria and Afghanistan is finding convention concerns great enough for news outlets to justify special training.
A two-day course from Global Journalist Security scheduled for early May will feature realistic simulations with “protesters” and “party militants” and already has signed up reporters from a major news wire and a prominent new media company, organizers say.
With a price tag of $1,195, the convention training likely is beyond the reach of most student journalists, rent-overdue freelancers and people with their own low-traffic blogs. But it could help well-financed outfits avoid legal and medical costs, and spare PR departments from having to defend employee behavior.
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