The Watchkeeper Consultant Network brings together media safety advisors who have been screened, developed, and assessed against structured professional standards.
Built around the Certified News Media Safety Advisor (CNMSA) programme, the network helps news organisations identify and access consultants whose capability and competency can be understood more clearly.
The Watchkeeper Consultant Network was created to help make consultant capability and competency more visible.
By combining structured development, assessment, and professional standards, the network helps organisations make more informed decisions while providing consultants with a clearer pathway for professional growth.
Provides greater visibility of consultant capability and competency beyond experience, reputation, and previous relationships.
Supports more informed and defensible consultant selection through clearer evidence of development, assessment, and professional standards.
Provides a structured pathway for developing capability, demonstrating competency, and progressing within the profession.
Supports a more transparent, accessible, and professional approach to identifying and developing media safety advisors.
Membership of the Watchkeeper Consultant Network is supported by structured development, professional assessment, and independent screening.
Capability and competency should be demonstrable.
The network supports a more transparent approach to consultant development, helping organisations better understand capability and competency.
Trust must be earned.
Consultants undergo background screening to BS7858 standards, supported by additional review of professional history, reputation, and wider online presence where appropriate.
“Capability and competency should be demonstrated, not assumed.”
The objective is not to create barriers to entry, but to provide a clearer and more structured approach to identifying, developing, and maintaining capable consultants within the media safety profession.
Operators within the Watchkeeper Consultant Network are expected to demonstrate capability across a broad range of areas relevant to supporting journalists and news organisations operating in complex environments.
Can work effectively alongside journalists, producers, and editors while supporting editorial objectives.
Can identify risks, assess their impact on news gathering, and develop practical mitigations and contingency plans.
Can plan and support news gathering activities ranging from routine travel to conflict zones, civil unrest, and other higher-risk environments.
Can identify and respond to critical issues including weapons effects, drone threats, detention risks, and changing operational conditions.
Can effectively advise on travel, vehicles, accommodation, digital security, PPE, and emergency preparedness.
Can make informed decisions, communicate effectively, and provide support appropriate to the task and operating environment.
The Watchkeeper Consultant Network combines structured training, professional assessment, consultant screening, and ongoing quality assurance to help maintain confidence in consultant capability and competency.
Membership of the Watchkeeper Consultant Network is not automatic. Consultants are expected to progress through a structured process designed to develop capability, assess competency, and build appropriate experience before supporting clients independently.
Consultants complete structured training designed to develop role-specific knowledge and understanding.
Knowledge and understanding are assessed before consultants can progress into the network.
Consultants undergo BS7858 screening and additional suitability checks before acceptance.
Relevant experience is reviewed alongside demonstrated capability and competency.
New entrants may be offered opportunities to gain exposure through training activities and lower-risk environments.
Certification is reassessed every two years, supported by performance monitoring and feedback.
The Watchkeeper Consultant Network is designed to help news safety leaders make more informed decisions when selecting consultant support.
The Watchkeeper Consultant Network is built around the Certified News Media Safety Advisor (CNMSA) programme.
Whether you’re entering the profession or looking to demonstrate existing capability against a structured professional standard, CNMSA provides a pathway for developing, assessing, and demonstrating the knowledge, understanding, and professional behaviours required to support journalists effectively.
