When the camera becomes a target

We are often the first to arrive and the last to leave. While crowds scatter, cameramen and photographers move closer. In moments of crisis, fires, elections, protests, demolitions and disasters, cameramen stand at the centre of these events, documenting reality as it unfolds.

Yet in Ghana and many parts of the world, cameramen and photographers remain among the most vulnerable professionals in journalism. Despite their central and crucial role in news production, they are frequently assaulted, poorly protected and largely under-recognised within the media industry.

In today’s media environment, visuals define impact. Images and video clips have ignited national conversations, expose wrongdoing and shape public opinion within seconds. In all the media landscape, majority of storytelling value is visual, produced by some cameramen and photographers working in high-pressure and often volatile environments.

This visibility, however, comes at a cost. Cameramen are usually positioned closest to unfolding events, making them the most exposed when tensions rise.

A recent example is the assault on Samuel Addo, a journalist with Class Media Group, who was attacked by personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service while filming an altercation between firefighters and traders at the Kasoa New Market. He was injured while performing a routine professional duty recording events of public interest.

Incidents such as this have become increasingly prevalent. Records by the Media Foundation for West Africa, Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and other media monitoring bodies show that journalists are regularly assaulted while on duty, with cameramen often the primary victims. These attacks occur during political rallies, security operations, demolitions, protests and disaster coverage.

In many cases, cameras are damaged or confiscated, journalists are physically assaulted or detained, and intimidation follows.

Yet a significant number of reported cases are never fully investigated or prosecuted. This lack of accountability has contributed to a pattern where attacks against visual journalists are treated as routine rather than exceptional.

The situation in Ghana reflects a broader global trend. Across the world, cameramen and photographers have been injured or killed while covering wars, elections, civil unrest and human rights violations.

In 2016, I was assaulted by military personnel while covering an altercation between civilians and the military at Aboabo, a suburb of Tamale. Like many similar cases, the incident was never pursued. It was treated as routine and eventually forgotten.

That experience reflects a wider reality faced by many cameramen: attacks are frequent, investigations are rare and consequences minimal.

From conflict zones in Gaza, Syria, Ukraine and Iraq, to violent regions in Mexico and Haiti, visual journalists are often targeted because their work provides evidence. Cameras capture what words alone cannot, making those who operate them particularly vulnerable.

Globally, hundreds of journalists have lost their lives over the decades while on assignment; many of them visual reporters.

Despite the risks involved, cameramen and photographers are often among the lowest-paid employees in media organisations. Risk allowances are uncommon, insurance coverage is inconsistent and access to trauma support is limited.

Recognition within the profession also remains uneven, at major industry events such as the Ghana Journalists Association Awards, most honours are reserved for reporters, while cameramen whose visuals underpin many award-winning stories are rarely acknowledged beyond a single photojournalism category.

As long as cameramen and photographers continue to work without adequate protection, training, insurance and institutional backing, the risks will remain. Without meaningful accountability, assaults on visual journalists are likely to continue.

Cameramen and photographers are not peripheral to journalism. They are central to it. Their work informs the public, preserves records of national events and supports democratic accountability.

Ensuring their safety is not only a professional obligation; it is essential to protecting the integrity of journalism itself.

Beyond physical attacks, cameramen and news photographers operate within weak legal and institutional protection frameworks. While Ghana’s Constitution guarantees press freedom, enforcement mechanisms specific to journalist safety remain limited.

Assaults against visual journalists are often treated as isolated disturbances rather than attacks on press freedom, reducing their seriousness in the eyes of investigators and prosecutors.

Another critical gap lies in operational preparedness. Cameramen are frequently deployed to high-risk assignments without basic safety briefings, protective gear or clear protocols. In many newsrooms, decisions are driven by urgency and competition, leaving little room for structured risk assessment before deployment to volatile scenes.

Responsibility also lies with media organisations themselves, where many cameramen operate without adequate insurance, written safety policies or post-incident support. When assaults occur, affected journalists are often left to pursue justice on their own, reinforcing the perception that injury is simply ‘part of the job.’

Security agencies remain a key part of the problem. Cameramen are routinely mistaken for agitators, accused of provocation, or ordered to stop filming without lawful justification. The absence of consistent training for security personnel on media rights and engagement protocols continues to fuel confrontations that escalate unnecessarily.

Economic vulnerability further compounds the risk. Some cameramen invest heavily in personal equipment like cameras, lenses, batteries and protective gear often purchased on credit. When equipment is damaged or seized during assignments, compensation is rare, pushing many visual journalists into long-term financial strain.

Digital threats have also emerged as a growing concern. Visual journalists increasingly face online harassment, threats after publishing sensitive images or videos. These digital attacks often translate into physical risk, yet remain largely unaddressed by employers or law enforcement agencies.

The cumulative effect of physical danger, low pay, poor recognition and weak protection has consequences for journalism itself. Talented cameramen leave the profession, younger practitioners become risk-averse, and news coverage grows thinner. When visual journalists are silenced or discouraged, the public loses access to independent, credible documentation of events.

Protecting cameramen and photographers is, therefore, not a favour. It is a democratic necessity. Without safe conditions for visual reporting, accountability weakens, misinformation thrives and public trust erodes. Journalism cannot function fully if those who capture its most powerful evidence remain exposed and expendable.

By Geoffrey Buta

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