Since January, nine Mexican journalists have been murdered and another eight have been kidnapped and remain missing for a total of 17 dead and missing for the year. None of their cases have been solved in a country where warring drug traffickers have killed each other in battles over territory, have murdered policemen and politicians and have engaged in bloody shootouts with government troops sent to restore order.

In the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, news bureaus and wire services are reassessing how to keep their offices efficient through crisis and best communicate with journalists in the field in disaster areas.

Every journalist covering a hot zone or an area where natural disasters are likely should have a crisis reporting plan ready to implement.