Country and Region-Specific Safety Issues

WorldCat (9)

Switzerland: Mounting Pressure on Journalism in a Small Media System

Col Porlezza

In: Media Compass: A Companion to International Media Landscapes

Aljosha Karim Schapals; Christian Pentzold (eds.)

Hoboken, NJ: Wiley (2024), pp. 150-160

"The press in Switzerland is mainly characterized by external pluralism, with more or less clearly aligned political positions in the case of some news outlets. In line with Hallin and Mancini's model, the public service media plays a significant role in Switzerland. Besides the public service media ... more

Coping with Hate: Exploring Indian Journalists’ Responses to Online Harassment

Prashanth Bhat

Journalism Practice, volume 18, issue 2 (2024), pp. 337-355

"In India, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) employs a digital army of right-wing supporters to harass journalists who are critical of the party's Hindu-nationalist ideology. As a result, the country's press freedom rankings have significantly declined over the past decade. While scholars have ... more

External Link (11)

Google Scholar (10)

Media Freedom and Safety of Journalists in South Asian Countries: An Overview

Arulchelvan Sriram, Amit Verma

In: Handbook of Digital Journalism: Perspectives from South Asia

Surbhi Dahiya; Kulveen Trehan (eds.)

Cham: Springer (2024), pp. 565-575

"In the digital world, every profession has seen a massive transformation in terms of working mechanisms, approaches to the problem, dealing with prospects, moving forward to conceptualising the solution and so on. Likewise, the media field has also seen a massive transformation. The working pattern ... and the types of problems employees face also become a significant threat to many media professionals, especially journalists. The threat to journalists is a significant hindrance today to the younger generation, and journalism has become one of the dangerous professions, citing the transformation and risks involved. In many countries, especially in South Asia, journalists face surveillance, legislation, threats, violence, conflicts, workplace harassment, intimidation, impersonation, forced detention, kidnapping and killing, which affect their work patterns and result in a lack of free speech and press freedom. Many countries have faced allegations dealing with journalist threats in the last 25 years. Especially women journalists today face various consequences inside and outside the organisation when they are physically and emotionally at work. The war and conflict zone reporting also burdens the journalists, who must undergo safety and security training to mitigate the risks. Digital surveillance, safety and security concerns for journalists are increasing internally and externally. Hence, many organisations are training their journalists to secure them from risks by assessing complications and processes involved in their duty. The high increase in insecurities and threats has become a potential area to study. This study will assess journalist’s risks and threats in South Asian countries. The level of media freedom, the measures taken by the media organisations/government to manage risk, journalist’s current situation, work culture, protection level in different countries, and different types of risks (physical, psychological, financial, digital, gender-specific, public and legal) evaluated through secondary data. It will help us to understand and evaluate the current situation by comparing different countries in South Asia. The information presented in this research will be helpful for policymaking to secure the journalists from threats." (Abstract) more

External Link (13)

‘We’re Losing Our Bread and Butter Like Never Before’: Journalism in Bangladesh in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Shaharior Rahman Razu, Fajlay Rabbi, Mahdi-Al-Muhtasim Nibir, Farhana Hoque, Shahidul Islam

In: Communicating COVID-19: Media, Trust, and Public Engagement

Monique Lewis; Eliza Govender; Kate Holland (eds.)

Palgrave Macmillan (2024), pp. 65-82

"The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increased challenge for journalists and media professionals worldwide. However, there is a lack of information on these adversities in many developing countries, including Bangladesh. Our study aims to explore these challenges and risks associated with journalism ... more

Google Scholar (13)

WorldCat (14)

Journalists and Exposure to Trauma: Exploring Perceptions of PTSD and Resilience Among Pakistan’s Conflict Reporters

Ayesha Siddiqua, Muhammad Zubair Iqbal

Journalism Practice (2024), [no pag.]

"The study attempts to understand how Pakistani journalists perceive Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and resilience in the wake of covering traumatic events. Qualitative interviews of 32 Pakistani journalists were conducted who had covered military operations against militants. The findings in ... more

External Link (16)

WorldCat (15)

Effectiveness of art therapy in reducing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and the propensity to quit journalism among journalists covering banditry activities in Nigeria

Felix Olajide Talabi, Joshua Kayode Okunade, Joseph Moyinoluwa Talabi, Ishola Kamorudeen Lamidi, Samson Adedapo Bello, Blessing Chinweobo-Onoha, Gever Verlumun Celestine

Media, War & Conflict, volume 17, issue 4 (2024), pp. 445-462

"The goal of this study was to examine the efficacy of art therapy in the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the propensity to quit journalism among Nigerian journalists covering banditry attacks. The researchers utilized a quasi-experiment as the design for the study and sampled ... more

The Cost of Dissent in a Governance System Characterized by ‘Political Marketplace': A Phenomenological Study of Independent Journalists in Ethiopia

Abdissa Zerai, Getachew Dinku, Desalegn Aynalem

In: Patterns of Harassment in African Journalism

Lungile Augustine Tshuma; Trust Matsilele; Mbongeni Jonny Msimanga; Sadia Jamil (eds.)

London; New York: Routledge (2024), pp. 158-185

"The chapter examines the cost of dissent in a governance system that is structured by ‘political marketplace.’ Informed by Alex de Waal ‘political marketplace’ conceptual framework and employing a phenomenological approach, the chapter chronicles the lived experiences of nine independent jo ... more

Unraveling the Digital Threat: Exploring the Impact of Online Harassment on South Korean Journalists’ Professional Roles

Na Yeon Lee, Ahran Park

Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, volume 101, issue 2 (2024), pp. 529-551

"This research examines whether and to what extent journalists are harassed online and the effects of online harassment on their professional roles. The study classifies online harassment against journalists into five types: insults, threats, privacy intrusion, sexual assault, and cyber-hacking. The ... more

External Link (17)

Google Scholar (13)

Safety, reactions, and organizational support: Estonian journalists' experiences with hostility

Ivask Signe

In: Global Journalism in Comparative Perspective: Case Studies

Dhiman Chattopadhyay (ed.)

London; New York: Routledge (2024), pp. 40-52

"This chapter concludes multiyear research on journalists’ safety and well-being in Estonia and focuses on summarizing journalist experiences with and reactions to hostility. In addition to categorizing and describing the problems, the chapter also provides insight into what journalists expect fro ... more

Safety of Journalists in the Run-Up to the 2023 Elections in Zimbabwe

Nkosini Aubrey Khupe, Mphathisi Ndlovu

In: Patterns of Harassment in African Journalism

Lungile Augustine Tshuma; Trust Matsilele; Mbongeni Jonny Msimanga; Sadia Jamil (eds.)

London; New York: Routledge (2024), pp. 223-238

"In March 2023, a Zimbabwean government official caused a storm after threatening journalists with arrests for reporting on an Al Jazeera documentary that exposed alleged money laundering, gold smuggling and other criminal activities in the country. Journalists and media groups interpreted these utt ... more

WorldCat (10)

Outsourcing Repression: Impunity and Harassment of Journalists in Malawi

Jimmy Kainja

In: Patterns of Harassment in African Journalism

Lungile Augustine Tshuma; Trust Matsilele; Mbongeni Jonny Msimanga; Sadia Jamil (eds.)

London; New York: Routledge (2024), pp. 186-200

"The media sector expanded after the multiparty system’s reintroduction in the 1990s in Malawi. The growth has been enabled by a legal environment in which the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and the press. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, meaning that all the laws th ... more

WorldCat (10)

Time to Act: Measures of Curbing Harassment of Journalists in African Newsrooms

Bhekizulu Tshuma, Lungile Tshuma

In: Patterns of Harassment in African Journalism

Lungile Augustine Tshuma; Trust Matsilele; Mbongeni Jonny Msimanga; Sadia Jamil (eds.)

London; New York: Routledge (2024), pp. 239-251

"This chapter discusses the safety measures that newsrooms should adopt to help fight various forms of harassment. The chapter comes against the background of previous studies having found that newsrooms are ill-prepared to address different forms of harassment. As a result, journalists are left wit ... more

“There Were No Repercussions, Nothing, Life Continued”: Experiences of Harassment by Female Journalists

Shepherd Mpofu, Trust Matsilele, Trevor Hlungwani

In: Patterns of Harassment in African Journalism

Lungile Augustine Tshuma; Trust Matsilele; Mbongeni Jonny Msimanga; Sadia Jamil (eds.)

London; New York: Routledge (2024), pp. 15-27

"The chapter explores the challenges associated with harassment for entry-level to mid-career journalists across South Africa’s hybrid media platforms. The study employed a qualitative methodology consisting of semi-structured interviews with 12 entry-level and mid-career journalists with industry ... more

External Link (11)

Being a Woman-Journalist in a Polarized Context in Mozambique

Dércio Tsandzana

In: Patterns of Harassment in African Journalism

Lungile Augustine Tshuma; Trust Matsilele; Mbongeni Jonny Msimanga; Sadia Jamil (eds.)

London; New York: Routledge (2024), pp. 28-48

"This chapter addresses the issue of harassment in the media space in Mozambique. In fact, the issue of harassment of women in the media is a complex and multifaceted problem that can manifest in many ways. One aspect of this issue is the representation of women in media. Women are often objectified ... more

External Link (13)

Coping into Self-Censorship: Exploring Coping Strategies of Journalists Working in South Sudan

John Gai Alier, Samuel Kazibwe, Fred Kakooza

In: Patterns of Harassment in African Journalism

Lungile Augustine Tshuma; Trust Matsilele; Mbongeni Jonny Msimanga; Sadia Jamil (eds.)

London; New York: Routledge (2024), pp. 203-222

"Local journalists in South Sudan have faced enormous threats from security groups, politicians and powerful individuals in the country. These threats have made the work of the press difficult. Despite the precarious security situation, some journalists have had the courage to continue working in So ... more

The growing norm of sexual harassment in Pakistan’s mainstream and ethnic news media

Sadia Jamil

Media Asia, volume 50, issue 3 (2023), pp. 397-417

"Across time, in a variety of forms and spaces -from homes and workplaces to digital domains of social media- women have become victims of sexual harassment. Over the last couple of years, the world has witnessed appalling cases followed under the #MeToo campaign that has inspired an increasing numb ... more

Google Scholar (10)

WorldCat (10)

Online Harassment and Trolling of Political Journalists in Pakistan

Mingjuan Li, Shabir Hussain, Sana Barkat, Hajra Bostan

Journalism Practice (2023), [no pag.]

"This study examines the online harassment faced by political journalists in Pakistan on Twitter, specifically focusing on the actions of users affiliated with various political parties. By selecting the 12 most active journalists on Twitter, we combined both content and textual analyses to examine ... more

External Link (15)

‘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

External Link (15)

Google Scholar (14)

WorldCat (15)

Safety training deficiency, threats and adaptive measures among journalists reporting violent conflict in North East Nigeria

Umaru A. Pate, Abubakar Jibril

African Security Review, volume 32, issue 3 (2023), pp. 227-242

"This study appraises the mainstreaming and teaching of safety in journalism training institutions in Nigeria and interrogates the effectiveness of the safety measures available to safeguard the lives of journalists reporting from conflict areas in the North East geopolitical zone. In-depth intervie ... more

External Link (13)