About Crisis Ready Media
Crisis Ready Media – A non-profit Center for Journalist Safety
Mission
Our mission is to empower journalists with the knowledge and skills needed to report safely and effectively in hazardous environments. We are committed to providing comprehensive education, with the most current and relevant information, for journalists in The United States and around the world. Our aim is to equip journalists with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to navigate the challenges of reporting in areas affected by crisis, including natural disasters, civil unrest, high-threat situations, and conflict.
We will improve the physical safety and security, emotional resilience, and mental wellbeing of journalists. Crisis Ready Media is committed to supporting those who work tirelessly to bring important news to the public, ensuring that they can do so while minimizing risks to their personal and professional well-being.
We are dedicated to fostering a culture of safety within the journalism community. Crisis Ready Media will move beyond educational environments to conduct research and provide hazardous environment reporting for partnering non-profit organizations
Our Purpose
- Addressing a Critical Need: Journalism in hazardous environments is inherently risky, and there’s a vital need for specialized training and resources to ensure journalists’ safety. Crisis Ready Media will provide comprehensive training and support.
- Fostering a Culture of safety: The organization’s purpose extends beyond training; Crisis Ready Media is a partner in organizational planning. We offer counsel and recommend standards to mitigate risk and protect journalists, ensuring the public’s access to crucial information from conflict zones, disaster areas, and regions of civil unrest.
- Advocating for press freedom through safety and security: Crisis Ready Media is positioned to advocate for journalists’ rights and safety by advancing the cause of strengthening physical and emotional protection of journalists.
Our Vision
Crisis Ready Media envisions a world where journalists are equipped with the tools and empowered with the information to report safety, transforming the landscape of global journalism through resilience, awareness, and unyielding commitment to individual security and press freedom.
Our Founders
Mr. Bryan Woolston
Bryan is a photojournalist who spent more than 20 years in the public service, safety, and security industries.
During those years of service, Bryan served as a fire fighter, emergency medical technician, and hazardous material technician. He is trained in prehospital trauma life support, advanced airway management, mass casualty incident response, and in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Incident Command System. During his 20 years of military service, his education included attendance to Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal, US Army Technical Escort School, FBI and ATF Post Blast Investigation Courses, and US Army Physical Security Course. He has received expensive training is hazard mitigation.
His training also focused on the specialized responses to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents. In addition to his military career, Bryan’s government work included providing service support, and technical advice to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, the US Departments of State, Justice, and Homeland Security, Bryan has worked extensively, and maintains professional relationships with many federal, state and local law enforcement and emergency response agencies across America.
Bryan has spent the past 10 years as a photojournalist covering news, sports, and politics for Reuters, The Associated Press, Getty Images and many other press organizations. His assignments have included breaking news, natural disasters and civil/political unrest.
Mr. Christopher M. Post
Chris Post is an Emmy Award winning photojournalist, as well as a media safety educator and security advocate, with a background of over 20 years in the emergency services sector.
Chris has worked in positions ranging from Captain of the fire department at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, to EMT at a regional level, to disaster emergency response with FEMA.
Chris transitioned to the field of journalism in 2009 picking up the camera he always loved since learning analog photography in the 1980’s. Chris is the 2020 recipient of the National Press Photographers Association’s second highest award for his work on advancing journalist safety and security initiatives.
Chris’s recent work includes the creation and delivery of a Domestic Hostile Environment first aid course for journalists, guest lecturing at multiple universities on media safety, chairing a national committee on press safety & security and participating in panel discussions related to domestic newsgathering in the United States.
As a photojournalist Chris has covered large events including the last two inaugurations, multiple political convention cycles, and the Papal visit of 2010, major disasters including earthquakes in Puerto Rico, hurricanes in the Gulf states, and the politically turbulent protests of 2020.
Having a deep background in public safety and journalism allows Chris to assess, plan and manage risks for newsgathering assignments. Whether providing safety trainings ahead of events or being embedded as part of a team for high-risk assignments, Chris enhances safety, security and guidance for news organizations. Chris has worked as a safety adviser for major motion picture and television network projects.
