Reporters Without Borders newly released annual World Press Freedom Index points to an alarming problem. Since the index was first published 25 years ago, press freedoms have slowly deteriorated but this year is the most shocking yet, as the overall average score of all the countries assessed has never been so low. In many countries, journalists face increasing risks – from pressure and arrest to abduction and worse.

Read The World Press Freedom Index.

To give this news the impact it deserves, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Paris creative agency, The Good Company, have reimagine the reassuring in-flight safety messages – tailoring them to the real risks journalists face depending on the country where they are headed.

By using well-known travel destinations, the campaign creates a sharp contrast between the allure of travel and the reality in places where access to reliable information is often under threat. The campaign includes three films, each featuring safety instructions adapted to a destination: Vietnam (174th), Mexico (122nd) and Tanzania (117th), performed by flight attendants.

“There are some issues where communication isn’t enough – you have to take a stand. Press freedom is one of them. What journalists experience in many countries is unbearable -and too often invisible. Reporters Airlines is our way of making that reality impossible to ignore,” stated Hadi Hassan-Helou, creative director at The Good Company.

“The Good Company delivered a campaign that uses humour to highlight the serious decline in journalists’ safety in recent years. It is a warning to the public – both as citizens concerned about threats to journalism and as travelers visiting destinations where press freedom isn’t guaranteed,” added Thibaut Bruttin, director general of RSF.

Placed in everyday environments, the campaign creates a strong contrast between a familiar format and a much less familiar reality. The films will be supported in DOOH in major French train stations, OOH print in the metro, train stations, the press; and radio will run audio adaptations of the safety instructions. Digitally, the campaign extends to BeReal and Meta, with illustrated safety cards inspired by those found on airplanes. A teaser phase on social media, built around the fictional airline Reporters Airlines, gradually introduces the campaign universe.