Safety of Journalists CFOM Sheffield

Using Journalism for Self-Protection: Profession-Specific and Journalistic Measures and Strategies for Countering Violence and Impunity in Mexico and Honduras

Tamsin Mitchell

Journalism Studies, volume 24, issue 7 (2023), pp. 896-915

"In Mexico and Honduras, journalists face violence from state and non-state actors and almost complete impunity. Given a lack of effective state protection, some resort to alternative means of (self-)protection and justice-seeking. Via analysis of 67 interviews with journalists and protection actors ... more

Online safety of diverse journalists: A report prepared for Media Diversity Australia

Faith Valencia-Forrester, Bronwyn Carlson, Susan Forde, Madi Day, Mark Pearson, Sandy O'Sullivan, Susan de Groot Heupner, Dylan Barnes

Media Diversity Australia; Griffith University; Macquarie University (2023), 69 pp.

"Overall, our study found that many journalists and media workers from minority backgrounds were experiencing online harassment and abuse from members of the public, and that often, this behaviour was considered ‘part of the job’ in the modern, digital environment. While we found some employers ... more

Embedding Trauma Literacy Into Curriculum: An Examination of the Attitudes of Australian and New Zealand Journalism Educators

Alexandra Wake, Erin Smith, Matthew Ricketson

Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, volume 78, issue 2 (2023), pp. 112-126

"Australia and New Zealand have reputations as countries prone to catastrophic and frequent natural and man-made disasters. Therefore, it is no surprise that antipodean academics want trauma-informed education for their journalism students. This study presents the Australian-New Zealand results of a ... more

Preparing for Risks and Building Resilience

Elsebeth Frey

Journalism Studies, volume 24, issue 7 (2023), pp. 1008-1025

"Journalists confront terror and war to report and document what is happening. Covering traumatic events is dangerous for the reporters on the scene and may leave them with distress responses. The aim of this study is to investigate the coping strategies journalists use to deal with danger and traum ... more

Post-traumatic Mental and Physical Consequences of Frontline Reporting in the MENA Region

Lakhdar Chadli, Farooq Muhammad Haq, Ahmed Okasha, Rafik Attou

Open Public Health Journal, volume 15 (2023), 12 pp.

"Background: A current need in journalistic frontline work is to understand the potential psychological and physical traumatic consequences that may result from on-duty appointments. Journalists are active in frontline zones to report on conflicts, crises, and natural disasters. In the Middle East a ... more

Exploring the Attitudes of Journalism Educators to Teach Trauma-Informed Literacy: An Analysis of a Global Survey

Olatunji Ogunyemi, Lada Trifonova Price

Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, volume 78, issue 2 (2023), pp. 214-232

"Literature notes that most journalists will witness trauma and human suffering during the course of their careers, yet journalism education is lagging behind in preparing students to cope with the effects of exposure to traumatic events. This paper examines the attitudes of journalism educators/tra ... more

Teaching Emotional Intelligence for Enhancing Resilience in Journalism

Maja Šimunjak

Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, volume 78, issue 2 (2023), pp. 127–141

"The article outlines an evidence-informed approach for enhancing resilience, one of the key personal resources in labor, and explores the viability of this training for increasing journalists’ ability to manage everyday work-related stressors. The suggested pedagogy is in the form of a microinter ... more

“When can I get angry?” Journalists’ coping strategies and emotional management in hostile situations

Signe Ivask, Lenka Waschková Císarová, Angelina Lon

Journalism, volume 25, issue 10 (2023), pp. 2099-2116

"Research shows that emotional management is often part of journalists’ decision-making in the news creation process and when dealing with attacks, insults, or harassment, which we describe by the umbrella term hostility. Some emotional management strategies can lead journalists to self-censorship ... more

Weaponising the Law: Attacks on Media Freedom
Top Insights

Joel Simon, Carlos Lauría, Ona Flores

Thomson Reuters Foundation; Tow Center for Digital Journalism (2023), 50 pp.

"The purpose of this report is to provide the first step towards a global overview of the weaponization of the law as a prominent threat to media freedom. In doing so, we offer a resource that can be used to empower those seeking to navigate the shifting legal environment and support those working t ... more

Conceptualizing Journalists’ Safety around the Globe

Vera Slavtcheva-Petkova, Jyotika Ramaprasad, Nina Springer, Sallie Hughes, Thomas Hanitzsch, Basyouni Hamada, Abit Hoxha, Nina Steindl

Digital Journalism, volume 11, issue 7 (2023), pp. 1211-1229

"Killings, as the most extreme form of violence against journalists, receive considerable attention, but journalists experience a variety of threats from surveillance to gendered cyber targeting and hate speech, or even the intentional deprivation of their financial basis. This article provides a co ... more

Not just words: How reputational attacks harm journalists and undermine press freedom
Top Insights

Chris Tenove, Ahmed Khalid Al-Rawi, Juan Merchan, Manimugdha Sharma, Gustavo Villela

Vancouver: Global Reporting Centre; University of British Columbia School of Journalism, Writing, and Media (2023), 105 pp.

"Journalists’ reputations are under assault around the world. Among journalists we surveyed, 63% reported at least monthly attacks on their individual reputations — and 19% reported facing them daily. Rates were even higher for attacks on the reputations of their news outlets or the broader news ... more

Social media and online hostility: Experiences of women in Irish journalism

Dawn Wheatley

Dublin: Irish Research Council; Dublin City University (2023), 60 pp.

"The public’s increased access to journalists via social networks is arguably the defining shift in audience-media relations over the past two decades. While some laud this potential for dialogue, the reality is that many journalists face targeted hostility, with women often subjected to particula ... more

Assessing safety of journalism practice in Ghana: Key stakeholders’ perspectives

Theodora Dame Adjin-Tettey, Sulemana Braimah

Cogent Social Sciences, volume 9, issue 1: 2225836 (2023), 16 pp.

"This study sought to use the self-reporting method of survey as well as key informant interviews to investigate the depth and spread of the problem. A total of 115 respondents took part in the survey. Additionally, eight interviews were conducted with key stakeholders. The study found that the most ... more

Safety concerns and awareness of safety measures among female journalists reporting elections in Nigeria

Mofoluke I. Akoja, Oguchi O. Ajaegbu, Adetunji Adeteye, Medinat Kanabe

Seybold Report, volume 18, issue 7 (2023), pp. 2402-2419

"Female journalists often face a dual challenge when reporting on elections, grappling with routine attacks both as women and as professionals. This study aims to explore the safety concerns of female journalists covering elections in Lagos state, Nigeria, and investigate their attitudes towards the ... more

The struggle for authority and legitimacy: Lifestyle and political journalists’ discursive boundary work

Sandra Banjac, Folker Hanusch

Journalism, volume 24, issue 10 (2023), pp. 2155–2173

"Scholarship has pointed to an artificial hierarchy between political and lifestyle journalism that is rooted in norms and values stemming from Western-liberal thought. Within this distinction, lifestyle journalism has been subordinated as occupying a marginal or peripheral position in the field. Ye ... more

“I thought You Are Beautiful”: Uganda Women Journalists’ Tales of Mob Violence on Social Media

Gerald Walulya, Florence Namasinga Selnes

Digital Journalism, volume 11, issue 10 (2023), pp. 1962-1981

"This article contributes to our understanding of the notion of mob censorship from the Ugandan context by examining the nature and consequences of harassment targeting women journalists on social media. Drawing on research about online harassment and censorship, we link mob violence in physical spa ... more

Between Shadows and Stories: Navigating the Journey of Afghan Journalists, from Aug. 15, 2021 to Aug. 15, 2023

Afghanistan's National Journalists Union (2023), 17 pp.

"The Afghan media landscape stands at a crossroads, navigating a landscape rife with challenges and uncertainties in the wake of the Taliban's resurgence. The post-Taliban era, marked by a thriving media sector with 160 television channels, 311 radio stations, 90 print newspapers, and 26 news agenci ... es, has witnessed a drastic transformation. The current media landscape, with 70 television channels, 211 radio stations, 11 print newspapers, and 9 news agencies, reflects a significant decline in numbers and diversity. Under the de facto rule of the Taliban, the media sector has encountered substantial constraints. Censorship and self-censorship have become rampant, with journalists and media outlets navigating the perilous territory of permissible content. Threats, intimidation, and violence against media professionals have created an atmosphere of fear, leading to an exodus of skilled journalists. Investigative journalism, once a cornerstone of accountability, has been stifled, and access to unbiased information has dwindled, leaving citizens ill-informed. The closure of media outlets has far-reaching implications, including restricted information flow, suppressed free speech, and diminished content diversity. The narrative has further fragmented between Kabul and the provinces, where media freedom varies significantly. Female journalists remain conspicuously absent in many regions, underscoring the entrenched gender disparity in the field. International media outlets, under surveillance and restraints, grapple with maintaining their operations and integrity in an increasingly controlled environment. Social media, once a platform for open dialogue, faces censorship and restrictions, hampering the exchange of ideas. As Afghanistan's media landscape evolves, the absence of comprehensive legal frameworks has exacerbated challenges. The suspension of the Mass Media Law and the Access to Information Law during the transitional phase has left media professionals in a legal gray area. The need for inclusive consultations with media stakeholders to shape these laws cannot be overstated. In this complex milieu, it is evident that safeguarding the media's role as a communication bridge between the government and the people is paramount. Collaborative efforts between the Islamic Emirate, the international community, and media support organizations are essential to prevent the collapse of Afghanistan's media landscape." (Conclusion, pages 16-17) more

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‘Repackaging the emptiness’: How Russian regional journalism adapts to the COVID-19 pandemic

Elina Erzikova, Wilson Lowrey

Newspaper Research Journal, volume 44, issue 1 (2023), pp. 92-110

"The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the role news organizations play in disseminating information and shaping public response to the crisis. This study adopts an ecological approach in examining Russian regional journalists’ adaptations to the pandemic. Based on in-depth interviews, the study f ... more

Manual de cobertura, seguridad y protección para mujeres periodistas en Ecuador

Quito: Periodistas Sin Cadenas (2023), 34 pp.

"Entre junio de 2021 y diciembre de 2022, 125 mujeres periodistas sufrieron agresiones en Ecuador, según datos de la Fundación Periodistas Sin Cadenas. La seguridad y la protección a su integridad física aún es una tarea lejana que no ha sido asumida por los medios de comunicación ni el Estado ... more