The Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM) at the University of Sheffield (UK) is an interdisciplinary research centre with global outreach on issues of media freedom, journalism safety, editorial standards and impunity. During the 2022 Academic Consultation on the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, CFOM conducted a literature stocktake to scope out academic literature published in the area of media freedom, journalism safety and impunity. CFOM collated this information and produced a literature database organised by themes or countries for accessibility.  The collection is especially strong on country- and region-specific safety issues and on surveys of emotional wellbeing of journalists. This special collection is curated by gemma.horton@sheffield.ac.uk.

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Topics
Safety of Journalists, Safety Risks of Media Workers
281
Harassment & Intimidation of Journalists
172
Journalists Dealing with Risks & Threats, Resilience & Wellbeing of Media Workers
147
Female Journalists & Media Workers
108
Media Freedom, Press Freedom
89
Safety of Journalists: Law & Public Policies
58
Conflict Reporting, Armed Conflict Reporting
57
Self-Censorship
51
Working Conditions of Journalists & Media Personnel
42
Killings of Journalists & Media Personnel
32
Violence Against Journalists & Media Personnel
27
COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects on Journalism, Media & Communication
27
Journalism Education & Training
25
War Reporting
24
Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists & Media Personnel
23
Press Freedom & Communication Rights Violations
22
Surveillance, Surveillance Technologies, Spyware
17
Investigative Journalism
15
Foreign Correspondents
14
Cybersecurity, Digital Safety, Privacy, Right to Privacy
13
Censorship
12
Journalists: Professional Identity & Values
12
Crime & Violence Reporting
10
Humanitarian Law
10
COVID-19 Communication
10
Media Law & Regulation
10
Gender-Based Online Harassment & Sexual Threats
9
Media Law & Regulation: International Standards & Practices
9
Journalism
9
Freelance Journalists & Media Workers
9
Digital Activism, Cyber Advocacy
8
Gender-Based Harassment, Intimidation & Violence
8
Protests, Protest Movements, Protest Reporting & Media Representation
8
Media Landscapes, Media Systems, Media Situation in General
8
Authoritarian Regimes: Government Communication Strategies
7
United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity
7
Media Assistance: Freedom of Expression & Safety of Journalists
6
Citizen Journalism, Community Journalism
6
Digital Journalism, Online Journalism
6
Social Media in Political Communication
6
Media Capture, Vested Political & Other Interests in the Media
6
Authoritarian Regimes: Media Systems & Landscapes
5
Foreign Conflict Reporting, International War Reporting
5
Journalistic Social Media Use
5
Local Journalism
5
Photojournalism
5
Election Reporting
5
Human Rights Protection
5
Research in Media & Communication
5
Editorial Independence
4
Military: Communication Strategies & Practices
4
Conflict-Sensitive & Peace Journalism
4
Trauma: Media Representation & Reporting
4
Cyberbullying, Cyberharassment
4
Countering Hate Speech, Disinformation & Propaganda
4
Countering Defamation & Harassment
4
Feminism & Communication
4
Russia: Foreign Information Operations, International Broadcasting, Public Diplomacy
4
Transnational Journalism Cooperation & News Exchange
4
UNESCO
4
Journalism Education Curricula
4
Stringers & Fixers (Journalism)
4
Media Assistance
4
Populism
4
Open Data
3
Authoritarian Regimes, Dictatorships
3
Exile Journalism, Exile Media
3
Indirect Censorship, Soft Censorship
3
Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP)
3
Government Communication Strategies
3
Iraq War (2003)
3
Conflict Areas: Media Systems, Media Landscapes, Role of Media
3
Extremism & Terrorism Reporting
3
Disaster & Humanitarian Crisis Reporting
3
Disinformation, Misinformation, Fake News
3
Accountability & Transparency of the Media
3
Council of Europe
3
United Nations (UN)
3
Associations & Networks of Journalists
3
Journalists
3
Media Reporting, Reporting on Journalism & Communication Issues
3
Television Journalism
3
Post-Socialist Media Systems & Landscapes
3
Human Rights Violations
3
Caruana Galizia, Daphne (1964-2017)
3
Right-Wing Extremism
3
Democracy / Democratization and Media
3
Corruption & Combating Corruption
3
Networks & Networking
3
Civic Engagement, Citizen Participation, Civil Society & Media
2
Gender Advocacy & Empowerment, Gender Mainstreaming
2
Media Advocacy, Media Activism
2
Audience Feedback, Interaction & Participation
2
Independent & Oppositional Media in Authoritarian Regimes
2
Data Protection: Law & Regulation
2
Freedom of Expression
2
Freedom of Expression Lobbying & Communication Rights Campaigning
2
Freedom of Expression Principles
2
Internet Censorship Circumvention Tools & Strategies
2
Crisis Communication
2
Genocides
2
Russia-Ukraine War <2014-
2
Transitional Justice Reporting
2
Media Criticism
2
Media Viability & Financial Sustainability
2
Climate Change Communication, Climate Journalism
2
Journalism Ethics
2
Bribery & Corruption in Journalism
2
Objectivity & Veracity of Reporting
2
Fact-Checking & Verification of Sources
2
Gender Discrimination, Gender Inequalities
2
Indigenous Journalists & Communicators
2
Transnational & Comparative Communication Research
2
Journalism Concepts & Cultures
2
Journalism Studies & Research
2
Journalistic Quality
2
Political Reporting
2
Media & Communication Policies
2
Confidential Sources, Whistleblowing, Protection of Journalists' Sources
2
Migration & Refugees Reporting & (Social) Media Representation
2
Conflict & War Photography
2
Military
2
Opinion Leaders, Politicians, Decision Makers, Elites
2
Kompas (Newspaper, Indonesia)
2
Public Media, State Media
2
Islamist Communications & Media
2
Resilience
2
User-Generated Contents
2
Access to Media & Information
1
Access to Media & Information: Migrants, Refugees, Diasporas
1
Access to Public Information, Freedom of Information, Right to Information
1
Access to Information Laws, Right to Information Regulation
1
Editorial Independence: Influence of Advertisers
1
Advocacy
1
Civic Engagement, Citizen Participation, Civil Society & Digital Communication
1
Audiences & Users
1
Audience Expectations & Satisfaction
1
Audience Orientation
1
Social Media Analytics, Web Metrics, User Data Analytics
1
Election Campaigns
1
Catholic Media
1
Film Actors, Directors & Producers, Filmmakers
1
Digital Media Censorship, Control & Filtering, Internet & Social Media Censorship
1
Media / Communication Control
1
Censorship Circumvention Tools & Strategies
1
State Influence on the Media
1
OSCE Representative of Freedom of the Media
1
Government / State Advertising: Allocation Policies & Regulation
1
Alternative Communication & Media
1
Community Radios
1
Conflicts: Victims' Perspectives
1
Perpetrators
1
Terrorism
1
Boko Haram
1
Gaza War (2023-)
1
Humanitarian Interventions
1
Iraq-Kuwait Gulf War (1990-1991)
1
War Crimes
1
Conflict-Sensitive / Peace Communication
1
Dealing With the Past
1
Media Assistance in Conflict Regions & Fragile Countries
1
Trauma, Coping with Trauma, Trauma Therapy
1
Violence in the Media
1
Discourse & Discourse Analysis
1
Theatre
1
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
1
Algorithms & Big Data
1
Digital Media Startups
1
Digital Platform & Intermediaries Regulation
1
Digital Political Communication
1
Online Magazines & Newspapers
1
Social Media
1
Content Moderation & Regulation: Social Media
1
Democratization & Digital Media / Social Media
1
Facebook
1
Twitter & Microblogs
1
Trolling (Social Media)
1
AI in Journalism & Media
1
Generative AI, including ChatGPT et al.
1
Digitalisation, Online Communication & Democracy / Democratization
1
Diaspora Media
1
Minority Journalists
1
Prisoners & Communication / Media
1
Racism
1
Religious Minorities & Media
1
Earthquakes, Floods, Tsunamis, Natural Disasters
1
Conspiracy Narratives, Conspiracy Theories
1
Disinformation & Misinformation Law & Regulation
1
Foreign Disinformation, Foreign Information Manipulation Operations, Foreign Propaganda
1
Health Disinformation & Misinformation
1
Media Literacy: Disinformation, Fake News, Hate Speech
1
Documenting Human Rights Violations
1
Media Commercialisation
1
Media Concentration
1
Media Ownership
1
Political Economy of Media
1
Infotainment, Politainment
1
Sports Reporting
1
Environmental & Land Conflicts Reporting & Media Representation
1
Defamation: Effects on Victims
1
Bias in News Media
1
Evaluation Criteria, Evaluation Indicators
1
Female Opinion Leaders, Politicians, Decision Makers
1
Gender Representation & Stereotypes in the Media
1
Emergency Medical Aid
1
Health Journalism
1
Mental Health (General)
1
History of Journalism
1
History of the Press
1
China: Transnational Information Operations, International Broadcasting, Public Diplomacy
1
Foreign Countries: Reporting & Media Representation
1
Foreign News, International News
1
European Union (EU)
1
OSCE
1
Reporters Sans Frontièrs
1
Collaborative Journalism, Journalism Cooperation
1
Constructive Journalism, Solution-Oriented Journalism
1
Journalism Studies: Research Projects
1
Vox Pop Interviews
1
Journalists: Trust in Public Institutions
1
Labour Market for Journalists
1
Newsroom Management
1
Business & Economics Journalism
1
Corruption Reporting & Role of Media in Curbing Corruption
1
Court Reporting & Media Representation of Judicial System
1
Death & Grief: Reporting & Media Representation
1
Service Journalism, Consumer Information, Lifestyle Journalism
1
Metaphors
1
Translations & Translating
1
Local Television
1
Media Assistance: Financial Sustainability & Management
1
Diversity & Pluralism in Media / Communication
1
Media & Information Literacy
1
Law, Legislation, Judiciary (General)
1
Law & Regulation: Protection of Confidential Sources & Whistleblowers
1
Transitional Justice
1
Contracts, Labour Agreements, Service Contracts
1
Forced Migration, Forced Displacement
1
Cadwalladr, Carole (British Investigative Journalist)
1
Khashoggi, Jamal (1958-2018)
1
Ressa, Maria
1
Photographers
1
Hindu Nationalism
1
Political Extremism
1
Fragile / Post-Conflict States
1
Parliaments
1
Police
1
Politics and Media
1
Election Campaigns: Social Media
1
Independent & Oppositional Media
1
Influence of Media on Politics
1
Political Transition and Media
1
Public Spheres
1
Memory, Memorizing
1
Fundamentalisms (Religious)
1
Communication & Media Indicators
1
Communication & Media Research Associations & Networks
1
Research Methods
1
Digital Sources
1
Political Indicators
1
Interviewing (Journalistic Genre)
1
Crimes, Criminality, Organized Crime
1
Human Security
1
Sexual Violence & Abuse, Rape
1
COVID-19 Pandemic: Economic, Political and Social Effects
1
Rohingya
1
Blockchain Technologies
1
Al-Jazeera
1
Theories of Communication & Media
1
Language
Document type
Countries / Regions
Authors & Publishers
Media focus
Publication Years
Methods applied
Journals
Output Type

Chilling or cosy effects? Zimbabwean journalists’ experiences and the struggle for definition of self-censorship

In: Journalist Safety and Self-Censorship
Ingrid Fadnes; Anna Grøndahl Larsen; Roy Krøvel (eds.)
London; New York: Routledge (2020), pp. 47-64
"The definition of censorship denotes direct or overt restriction on free expression or freedom of the media. The popular understanding of self-censorship involves a person’s involuntary self-silencing. A journalist’s wilful, personal, intentional self-censorship, at times motivated by selfish m ... more
"In recent years, resilience training has been recommended as a way to protect news workers from the impact of reporting on traumatic events. However, do journalists see it as a useful tool in dealing with online abuse and harassment? This article explores Australian journalists’ conceptions of re ... more
"In this study, I examine the perilous conditions facing Filipino journalists covering the Mindanao region, focusing on differences in threats and dangers faced by those who are local to the region and those parachuting in from Manila. Using a qualitative approach, I have conducted one group intervi ... more

The Role of Ghanaian News Media Organisations in Countering Threats to Media Freedom and Journalists' Safety

In: Handbook of Research on Combating Threats to Media Freedom and Journalist Safety
Sadia Jamil (ed.)
Hershey, PA: IGI Global (2020), pp. 186-213
"Journalist safety is vital to media freedom as it shows stakeholders' duties to protect the media from crime and to guard media freedom. The media have the power to combat problems via coverage, yet evidence submits that journalist insecurity persists in Ghana. So, the study aims to examine how the ... more

Silencing the Media and Chaining the Watchdog: Threats to Journalist Safety During Elections in Nigeria

In: Handbook of Research on Combating Threats to Media Freedom and Journalist Safety
Sadia Jamil (ed.)
Hershey, PA: IGI Global (2020), pp. 214-240
"Over the last two decades, Nigeria has been struggling to consolidate its democratic processes to ensure peaceful campaigns and free and fair polls. But electoral processes require the free flow of verified electoral information and citizen's participation – phenomena that only free media can gua ... more
"Pervasive media censorship in China is often seen as a strictly political issue. Although in past years reporters have had leeway to report on economic issues, the Chinese Party/state has moved to tamp down economic journalism, even arresting those who report on bad economic news. This shift brings ... more
"One of the greatest obstacles confronting the journalism profession in the discharge of their duties is the indiscriminate physical and digital threat being experienced by journalists all over the world, particularly within sub-Saharan Africa. The continuous attacks facing journalists in Africa, mo ... more
"Open-source intelligence gathering and analysis (OSINT) techniques are no longer predominantly the remit of private investigators and journalists. An estimated 80-90% of data analysed by intelligence agencies is also now derived from publicly available material. Additionally, the massive expansion ... more
"Despite the growing scholarship on investigative journalism in Latin America, very few studies have addressed collaboration across newsrooms in the region. By analyzing the responses of 251 journalists who work for investigative units in Latin American news outlets, this study explores a) the reaso ... more
"Afghanistan is one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists. There are, however, no data on the mental health of Afghan journalists covering conflict in their country. The study aims to determine the degree to which Afghan journalists are exposed to traumatic events, their perceptions ... more

Types and Sources of Threats to Media Freedom in Uganda

In: Handbook of Research on Combating Threats to Media Freedom and Journalist Safety
Sadia Jamil (ed.)
Hershey, PA: IGI Global (2020), pp. 257-276
"This chapter contributes to journalism research from the Uganda's context by investigating the types and sources of threats to journalists' safety and media freedom in the country. The authors achieve this by examining relevant documents on the state of journalism in Uganda and interviewing journal ... more
"This article assesses the multiple factors which are barriers to media freedom in South Africa. These include crises of financial sustainability of the media sector which have recently been compounded by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; widespread job losses in journalism; and harassment and phy ... more
"While much research on Arab and Muslim diasporas in the West focuses on the War(s) on Terror, in this article, we explore how two particular diasporic groups, Egyptian and Saudi activists, work to shape public perceptions of the authoritarian regimes in their countries of origin. Contextualizing th ... more

Digital Threats and Attacks on the Philippine Alternative Press: Range, Responses, and Remedies

In: Handbook of Research on Combating Threats to Media Freedom and Journalist Safety
Sadia Jamil (ed.)
Hershey, PA: IGI Global (2020), pp. 1-22
"In the Philippines, the assault on the press has gone digital. While Filipino journalists continue to face physical, verbal, and legal threats and attacks, cyber-attacks and online harassment/trolling were identified in 2018 as the second worst threat against them, after low wages and poor working ... more

Pioneer decision on safety of journalists in the preceding context

In: European Yearbook on Human Rights 2019
Philip Czech; Lisa Heschl; Karin Lukas; Manfred Nowak; Gerd Oberleitner (eds.)
Intersentia (2020), pp. 339-368
"This contribution singles out and seeks to analyse the most essential elements of the OSCE Ministerial Council Decision on Safety of Journalists, adopted in Milan on 7 December 2018. Those elements aim to create an enabling environment for the media, in particular, through the compliance with speci ... more

A Review on the Safety of Journalists in Turkey: A Victims' Rights Perspective

In: Handbook of Research on Combating Threats to Media Freedom and Journalist Safety
Sadia Jamil (ed.)
Hershey, PA: IGI Global (2020), pp. 148-171
"In the neoliberal media autocracy of Turkey, mass media are propaganda tools rather than the public watchdogs. The coup attempt in 2016 gave the government additional power to institutionalise this regime. Critical journalists have become the enemies of the state and suffered from threats from vari ... more

The Risks and Challenges for Professional Journalism in the Digital Age: A Malaysian Perspective

In: Handbook of Research on Combating Threats to Media Freedom and Journalist Safety
Sadia Jamil (ed.)
Hershey, PA: IGI Global (2020), pp. 106-123
"The Internet is a modern Pandora's Box which has exceptionally altered the way we disseminate and receive information messages, particularly news. Despite technological innovations being the apex of our history, it is undeniable that they pose new challenges and threats to a different degree. Hence ... more
"Amid growing threats to journalists around the world, this study examines the nature of online harassment, the types of journalists most likely to experience it, and the most common forms of response to such abuse. Through a representative survey of U.S. journalists, we find that nearly all journal ... more
"Rising numbers of online attacks against journalists have been documented globally. Female, minority reporters and journalists who cover issues interwoven with right-wing identity anchors have been primary targets. This trend reflects growing forms of mob censorship linked to the demonization of jo ... more
"Since the collapse of the Somali state in the early 1990s, the country has been one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists. Many have been killed with impunity and the majority of those that have been killed where the perpetrator is known have been connected to political groups, ... more