The string of attacks on reporters in the Middle East is distressing but not surprising.

As an international journalist covering everything from the man on the street to public gatherings, I always sense my vulnerability to the emotions of the subject, especially if more than one. In one aspect, it can be a good thing. People are willing to talk to you, hoping that through your account, a sympathetic one, their voices would be heard. This makes news gathering easier. A reporter must go back to the newsroom with a good story, not just bland ordinary facts. But in other scenarios, in particular with huge crowds, the dynamics can turn against you. It usually starts with that one person who is vocally against what you are doing which stirs up the pack.

That is why it was perplexing to watch foreign broadcast correspondents embedding themselves among Egyptian protesters in Tahrir Square or close to it. The typical news shot of a journalist giving his take against a locale teeming with people or, in this case, a background of demonstrators is visually arresting. The energy pumps you up as a reporter. And hunting for that winning combination of sound bites and imagery is high adrenalin. Success will mean a congratulatory chorus back in the home office. If you get back home.

In a number of countries, being a journalist does not necessarily command the same immunity one expects, let’s say in North America. Immunity in the sense that people will not beat you up because they know you are just doing your job. In many places, a foreigner asking questions can only mean one thing—a spy—illogical as it may seem to you, but not to the suspicious minds of local citizenry wondering why there is so much interest from someone who doesn’t even live in their country. And from here suspicion rockslides to anger and reprisal.

For the media crew’s safety and security, particularly when filming is involved, one can follow a few cautionary steps to assure getting a good story without being the story.

First of all, is there really a need to be in the eye of the hurricane? A zoom in shot will capture the essence. And if you really have to be there, use hidden cameras. Having a camera and lights is like attracting moths to fly around a light bulb. The visuals might be hazy but use available light, or night-vision cameras. In film production, we all learned the picture might be distorted but ultimately what matters is clear understandable sound.

I find the more inconspicuous I look, the less apprehensive my potential interviewees would be. A suit for men stands out, and for women, especially if you are of a different race, it is imperative to dress like the locals. Study the crowd and if you can blend in, you will feel or be treated like less of an alien. In a country where gender separation is a world view, it will be highly risky for a woman reporter to be surrounded by men. If the throng is mostly females, it can lead to open hostilities with the male interviewer.

A characteristic of mob dynamics is the whirlpool or wave flow of people. You literally get sucked into the current, which can frighteningly and quickly separate you from your colleagues. Trying to reconnect is like swimming against the tide. One way to avoid this is to have your Q&As not on the street where you are open game and outnumbered. Invite the articulate, not necessarily the vocally shrill, set of individuals elsewhere where you have more control. And this might sound banal and trite, but if you can talk with them over a cup of coffee or tea, this will disarm them.

Why not hire local reporters? With text dubbing, whatever their fluency in English or how heavy their accent is, one can still gather good usable news footage. Local or regional media are less susceptible to assault and are often in a better position to accurately tell the mood and thoughts of their compatriots.

Finally, this will go against the grain of many: in some cases, not all, it pays to inform local political and military leaders of your intentions. You will probably get a common reply everywhere in the world: “We cannot guarantee your safety and security.” But if you get caught in between a skirmish, those pro-government thugs might pause before assailing you if their leaders informed them of those “nice” foreign journalists wearing an ID badge. In some Southeast Asian or Pacific countries, such a tactic might work.

The crowd culture is different in every country. And the rules of the game are different for foreign media, which can be good or bad. As American ABC TV correspondent Miguel Marquez found out recently while reporting from the riots in Bahrain, crying out “Journalist, journalist, journalist”, is not a shield from pugnacity. Perhaps it might have helped if he had said so in Arabic.

Joseph Lopez is a Vancouver-based journalist who has reported from Brazil, Kenya, Thailand, the United States, and other countries.