"Covering traumatic story assignments is often central to a journalist’s job. Violent crimes, natural disasters, and tragic personal struggles—these are newsworthy events. Studies have associated trauma coverage with higher rates of posttraumatic stress disorder, burnout, and other traumatic str
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ess symptoms in reporters. This study uses a survey of print journalists (N = 254) and qualitative interview data to examine the extent that higher education journalism programs helped prepare reporters for covering trauma. Respondents who reported receiving some type of education about trauma journalism reported higher levels of trauma literacy, defined as an awareness of the potential effects of trauma and adaptive coping mechanisms. Results indicate the power of education to produce more prepared journalists. More than half (53%) of respondents reported never having received any type of education related to crisis reporting or covering trauma. A subset of respondents (n = 24) from the sample were interviewed about the extent of their journalism education, their experiences covering traumatic assignments, and their feelings of preparedness on the job." (Abstract)
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"Many local journalists covering issues like corruption and organised crime can be considered human rights defenders (HRDs) exposed to high levels of violence and impunity. In this chapter, Mitchell examines what protection is available for such journalists via the dedicated international normative
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framework. She then explores the overlap between such journalists and the HRD concept, before outlining the international protection regime for HRDs and how it compares to the equivalent journalists’ system. Given the similarities between the security situations of such journalists and HRDs and the challenges faced by the regimes, she suggests there are ways international actors can better collaborate that could potentially lead to improved protection for both groups—albeit on a small scale in the absence of increased resources and political will." (Abstract)
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"News organizations in many Western democracies face decreasing trust amid fake news accusations. In this situation, news organizations risk losing their license to operate and need to defend their legitimacy. This study analyzes how The New York Times (NYT) discredits fake news accusations, which a
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re prominently expressed by US President Trump. A critical discourse analysis of the NYT’s news articles about fake news accusations in the first 70 days following President Trump’s inauguration reveals four delegitimizing strategies. First, the accusations are taken as a “badge of honor” for professional journalism but are morally evaluated to damage journalism’s role as the fourth estate in democracy. Second, using sarcasm, the articles criticize President Trump’s capacity to govern and thus question his legitimacy. Third, reporting implies that fake news accusations aim at suppressing critical thinking as in authoritarian regimes. Fourth, accusations are described as irrational responses to professional reporting or proven to be factually wrong, when possible. Overall, reporting in the NYT portrays President Trump as an irresponsible leader risking the well-being of the country’s citizens, its journalism, and its democracy, as well as journalism in foreign countries." (Abstract)
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"This study aims to explore the working environment of Pakistani journalists in Islamabad by analyzing their opinion on media freedom and professional autonomy. It also aims to highlight the limitations and difficulties faced by these journalists while performing their professional duties. To achiev
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e these aims, focus groups and in-depth interviews of media professionals were conducted. The focus group consisted of seven experienced journalists whereas in-depth interviews involved five male and three female journalists of the same city for a comprehensive understanding of their viewpoints and true insight of their position. Results showed all the respondents (male and female) from Islamabad city were not satisfied with their working environment, safety, and security. Not only their salaries were found insufficient for their personal needs yet they were facing certain threats from various pressure groups. The study found that their employers did not provide the minimum required safety and security against these threats." (Abstract)
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"Journalists are often first responders and eyewitnesses to violent news events. Trauma reporting can take its toll, resulting in mental health effects. Addressing the solution requires understanding the problem. This multimethod study used a national survey of journalists (N = 254) that shows that
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as trauma coverage frequency and intensity increase, so does the severity of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. In-depth interviews offer personal narratives of effects from traumatic reporting. Common coping mechanisms include disconnecting from work in various ways, purging emotions, talking about trauma, and remembering their jobs’ higher purposes. Suggestions include humanizing the newsroom and teaching about trauma reporting." (Abstract)
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"As I am writing this, the United Nations has counted 68 journalists killed in the line of duty around the world in 2018 (UNESCO, 2018a). That is nothing unusual. From 2012 to 2016, 530 journalists died on the job - an average of two per week. Very few of these are accidental deaths. Some are killed
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in hostile frontlines, where the risks of working in a place with bits of metal flying through the air at supersonic speeds are self-evident. But many more are singled out, murdered specifically for their work. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that since it started counting the dead in 1992, it has found 1322 cases where the motive was clearly linked to the journalists' work. However, the CPJ's numbers are almost certainly an underestimate. It uses a very conservative definition of "journalist", excluding bloggers, citizen journalists, or support staff." (Abstract)
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"Journalists' safety as well as media workers has become a subject of discussion on press freedom and the working condition of reporters following dangerous development on the media scene which has become a preoccupation with journalism professional bodies. As such, in order to achieve the objective
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of the study, qualitative research approach was used as the most tenable means of getting valuable data for this study; In-depth Interview (IDI) and focus group discussion (FGD) was selected as the research method for gathering relevant information. A sample size of 16 respondents was drawn using purposive sampling technique. The findings of the study revealed that journalists in Oyo State are aware of their safety. They agreed that journalism safety is the freedom the press has to perform their professional task without fear or intimidation. The study concluded that the issue of safety and protection of journalists in Nigeria must be given due consideration. The way and manner in which journalists lost their lives in trying to serve human needs on what is happening in the society is alarming. Furthermore, there is a need for media houses in Nigeria, especially in Oyo state to have safety policy that may guarantee the smooth operation of journalists. Training and retraining of journalists on safety issues is another measure that will create awareness on safety tips for journalists. The study recommended that media organisations in Nigeria and Oyo state in particular should have safety policy. By so doing, the safety and protection of journalists will be guarantee. There is also a need for training and retraining of journalists on safety issues in the media houses they are working for." (Abstract)
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"Across time, in a variety of forms and spaces -from homes and workplaces to digital domains of social media- women have become victims of male dominance. So also are the other vulnerable sections that suffer multi-layered abuse, and endure sexual harassment in social media. Yet, this phenomenon is
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insufficiently explored. Therefore, this article argues that social media spaces have become domains for sexual harassment and subjugation of women. This article examines gender-trolling on Twitter as a form of sexual violence against women. Employing qualitative analyses of the Twitter conversations on Indian journalists, namely Barkha Dutt, Sagarika Ghose, and Rana Ayyub, it exposes the nature and form of sexual violence against women on the micro-blogging space, and argues that social media platforms constitute convenient havens of harassment against assertive women." (Abstract)
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"The Arab world was taken by surprise when mass protests erupted in Tunisia in December 2010, followed by mass protests in Egypt in January 2011. Much optimism was expressed towards a new era for journalism freedom in the Arab world, in Egypt specifically with the fall of Hosni Mubarak and the long
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reign of his authoritarian regime. The influx of private media, mainly TV channels, following his demise was remarkable. Seven years on from the Egyptian revolt, the state of journalism in Egypt has transferred from a state of hope to one of despair." (Abstract)
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"While many reporters regularly experience online violence, women journalists are more likely than their male counterparts to be targeted for abusive comments and image focused, violently sexualised aggression. With such gendered violence having serious implications for media freedom, diversity and
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equity, as well as participation online, it is imperative that digital safety initiatives address the specificity and diversity of online attacks on women journalists and in ways that address the structural factors underpinning them – that is, going beyond an emphasis on individual responsibility. This paper analyses the gender-specific digital safety strategies proposed for women journalists by international anti-violence projects and how they address the responsibility for acting on gendered online attacks. It evaluates the emphasis safety training packages put on promotional, preventative, procedural, or prosecutorial measures and on individual, collective or networked and managerial approaches to these attacks. Drawing on a feminist “ethics of care”, the paper argues that gendered online violence needs to be tackled as a multilevel online governance issue rather than just a personal safety issue, with better support from peers, employers and legal and political institutions." (Abstract)
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"1,010 journalists have been killed in the last decade, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, with nine out of 10 cases remaining unresolved (Guterres, 2018). Imprisonments alone total more than three times the annual death toll, and the number of journalists in jail across the globe i
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n 2017 hit a new record (Beiser, 2017). Yet, while men represent the majority of those killed and detained, the percentage of women killed in the last five years has more than tripled from 4 per cent of total deaths in 2012, to 14 per cent in 2017 (UNESCO, 2018a). Reports by Reporters Sans Frontieres (2018) and the International Women's Media Association (Barton and Storm, 2016) tell us many more women have been attacked, detained or threatened." (Abstract)
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"Nous observons ainsi des mutations profondes dans le champ de la liberté de la presse, qui progresse sur plusieurs points, mais recule également dans certains autres. La liberté des médias est notamment limitée par de nombreuses restrictions légales sur le droit de communiquer des information
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s et des idées, bien que des progrès soient observés en ce qui concerne les garanties juridiques à chercher et à recevoir de l’information. En ce qui concerne le pluralisme des médias, les cinq dernières années ont vu la multiplication considérable des sources d’information. Pourtant, la concentration de la propriété des médias et des services Internet soulève des préoccupations majeures. Les effets de filtrage des médias sociaux, qui créent des « bulles » dans lesquelles les gens n’accèdent pas à la vérité ou aux « points de vue » qu’ils jugeraient « gênants » ou « inappropriés » sont un exemple. La manipulation et la diffusion de fausses informations par des organes de propagande en sont un autre. On note également un arrêt des progrès sur l’égalité des genres dans les contenus et en personnel. Les tendances montrent que l’indépendance des médias s’affaiblit et que les normes professionnelles du journalisme s’érodent sous l’effet des forces économiques d’un côté et du manque de reconnaissance de la part des acteurs politiques de l’autre. Les entreprises de médias et de l’Internet sont de plus en plus conscientes de la nécessité de s’autoréguler. En ce qui concerne enfin la sécurité physique, psychologique et numérique des journalistes, les tendances restent extrêmement alarmantes, même si la mise en oeuvre du Plan d’Action des Nations Unies sur la sécurité des journalistes et la question de l’impunité représente un espoir. Il existe un nouvel élan pour des mécanismes de suivi, de prévention, de protection et de renforcement de la justice pour les crimes commis contre les journalistes. Cet élan doit être encouragé." (Avant-propos, pages 10-11)
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"Right-wing populists often criticise the established media for being untruthful or censoring what critics consider to be important information—for instance, the ethnic background of perpetrators—and for being biased against right-wing populist actors. That hostility towards journalism can be un
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derstood as a consequence of the right-wing populist worldview. Because such criticism uses professional norms of journalism against it and due to particular aspects of how journalism functions, it remains difficult for journalists to respond to such criticism. Certain responses risk confirming and even normalising the right-wing populist worldview." (Abstract)
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"La publication de ce "Manuel de protection des journalistes" rentre justement dans le cadre des actions que mène JED pour la sécurisation des journalistes et autres professionnels des médias dans leur travail. Cette sécurisation, nous essayons de la promouvoir par la sensibilisation, et par des
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sessions de formation à l'intention des professionnels des médias. Mais JED n'a, ni les moyens, ni le pouvoir d'assurer la sécurité physique des journalistes, qui est de la seule responsabilité de l'autorité publique. L'initiative de ce petit "Manuel de protection des journalistes" fait suite au constat malheureux de la multiplication des attaques et des agressions des journalistes que nous enregistrons souvent pendant les périodes de campagnes électorales. Beaucoup de journalistes et correspondants de la presse nationale ou internationale sont souvent pris pour cibles lors des manifestations politiques, et leurs matériels de travail détruits. Plus particulièrement, lors des manifestations politiques qui ont tendance à dégénérer ou à déraper, les journalistes se retrouvent assez souvent victimes de ces débordements, alors qu'ils sont appelés, malgré les risques, à faire leur travail aussi sur terrain. Les médias audiovisuels sont le plus souvent touchés, car leurs équipes de reportage sont obligées d'être sur le terrain, et parfois dans le feu de l'action pour couvrir les événements. Voilà pourquoi JED a jugé utile, pour réduire un tant soit peu les risques qu'encourent les professionnels des médias, de les sensibiliser sur " Ce qu'il faut faire " et " Ce qu'il ne faut pas faire " pour ne pas s'exposer outre mesure. Tout en gardant en conscience que le risque zéro du métier d'informer n'existe pas, les mesures de précautions proposées dans ce Manuel ne sont qu'indicatives, et ne sauraient être exhaustives, tant il vrai que chacun en fonction de sa situation particulière ou de ses moyens de défense, peut adopter les attitudes et les comportements qu'il juge lui- même salutaires pour sa sécurité et celle de son entourage." (Page 4)
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"This article examines some of the cultural differences between news ‘fixers’ and foreign reporters, focusing specifically on the expectations and experiences of the fixers, rather than the correspondents whose own perspectives have already been fruitfully explored. Drawing upon qualitative, sem
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i-structured interviews I conducted with 21 news fixers, I will answer three research questions: (1) How do fixers understand and value the work they do? (2) How do fixers view the cultural, ethnic, or racial differences that inevitably play into the professional relationships between local news staff and foreign news outlets? (3) How do these cultural differences impact the safety of foreign correspondents and fixers, most especially at sites of conflict? The study ultimately shows that fixers take issue with foreign journalists’ lack of background on the countries they visit and with journalists’ lack of attention to disparate cultural mores in the newsgathering process. Furthermore, the inattention to cultural difference in the field can endanger the lives of the foreign reporters as well as the lives of the fixers." (Abstract)
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"The relationship between the media and security agencies, including those in the law enforcement and intelligence services, has always been a delicate one. In the West African context, this relationship is often characterized by frequent clashes, arising from a somewhat startling inability of eithe
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r side to fully appreciate the role of the other in society, particularly in democratic governance. This report pulls together experiences and reflections from Liberia, Ghana and Sierra Leone, distilling lessons learnt and best practices in this regard and outlining a framework to inform future initiatives by a variety of stakeholders." (www.mediasupport.org)
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"El manual fue creado por IWPR en base a las experiencias y recomendaciones de periodistas trabajando en Cuba, con la participación de expertos y varias organizaciones internacionales comprometidas con la libertad de expresión y la protección de periodistas. El producto final es único en su tipo
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ya que por primera vez, integra información sobre seguridad física, psicológica, digital y legal de acuerdo a las necesidades y el contexto cubano. El objetivo del manual es fortalecer las capacidades de prevención, autoprotección y seguridad para ejercer cualquier actividad informativa en la Isla. Los diferentes apartados de este manual responden, de manera secuencial, a distintas necesidades que las y los periodistas tienen antes, durante y después de realizar su trabajo." (https://iwpr.net)
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