New JESS AI tool seeks to democratize journalist safety guidance
- ACOS Alliance
- Apr 11
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 25
Today, audiences at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia were introduced to JESS, an AI-powered tool set that seeks to democratize safety guidance for journalists without access to in-house security teams.
Launching in U.S.-based newsrooms in Fall 2025, JESS (Journalist Expert Safety Support) will provide immediate, trusted security guidance by tapping into the collective knowledge of large, well-resourced media organizations and synthesizing the best safety guidance from security experts and NGOs. JESS will help journalists mitigate risks across reporting scenarios, from protests and political rallies to natural disasters and digital threats. It is a project of journalist safety coalition ACOS Alliance and the Journalism Protection Initiative at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.
“Too many newsrooms around the world operate without access to even the most basic safety resources. JESS changes this,” Elisabet Cantenys, executive director of ACOS Alliance, said. “By putting expert security guidance into their hands, we’re helping to level up the safety playing field for the most vulnerable journalists, many of whom are freelancers.”
“Amid rising threats, the demand for safety information is too great for humans alone to meet it,” said Joel Simon, founding director of the Newmark J-School’s Journalism Protection Initiative. “JESS will allow us to scale safety information in multiple languages. It’s an AI solution to a human problem.”
The JESS development team is led by Nikita Roy, data scientist, journalist and founder of Newsroom Robots Lab, and Michael Christie, former general manager for Global Logistics and Security at Thomson Reuters. Its prototype was created by Semafor’s managing editor, Gina Chua, who chairs the tool’s Advisory Board. The project was made possible through our partnership with the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation.
After a period of beta testing, JESS will be made available to U.S.-based newsrooms in advance of global roll-out planned for 2026.
Further news and updates can be found at safetyjess.com where journalists and editors can also register their interest for participation in beta testing.
The ACOS Alliance (A Culture Of Safety Alliance) is a unique global coalition of 160+ news organizations, journalist associations and press freedom NGOs working together to champion safe and responsible journalism practices. ACOS’s work democratizes access to safety training and resources, helps newsrooms and journalists meet the standards outlined in the Freelance Journalist Safety Principles, and facilitates dialogue, innovation and coordination to create systematic change in journalism safety culture and practice.
The Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY is a public graduate journalism school that prepares students from diverse economic, racial, and cultural backgrounds to produce high-quality journalism. In 2024, the school launched a campaign to provide free tuition, in perpetuity, to all of its students. www.journalism.cuny.edu
The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation (PJMF) is a philanthropic organization dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence and data science solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all. PJMF works in partnership with public, private, and social institutions to drive progress on our most pressing challenges, including digital health, climate change, broad digital access, and data maturity in the social sector.
