"This article introduces and examines a hierarchical model of influences that identifies the variables affecting the watchdog role of journalists at three levels: the societal (press freedom and democracy), the organizational (media ownership), and the individual (editorial autonomy and perceived in
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fluences) on a global scale. Using data from 27,567 journalists in 6403 media organizations across 67 countries, the model's validity is confirmed. The findings reveal that variations in journalists’ perception of their role are more pronounced at the societal level compared to the organizational and individual levels. Furthermore, journalists tend to assume a watchdog role more prominently within public media as opposed to private or state-run outlets. Surprisingly, press freedom and democracy have a weak and insignificant impact on watchdog journalism, challenging established norms in the literature, a result that we critically discussed." (Abstract)
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"The evaluation found that the MFC has made notable contributions to media freedom and journalist safety over the past five years. It has played a role in encouraging some Member States to strengthen their media freedom policies and legislation. The MFC has also influenced state actors through diplo
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matic and advocacy efforts, maintaining high-level political attention on media freedom. Direct interventions, legal guidance, and engagement with embassy networks have contributed to journalist protection efforts at the local level. Furthermore, the MFC has strengthened multi-stakeholder coordination, bringing together governments, civil society, and legal experts.
However, the evaluation also identified several areas for improvement. While the MFC provides a platform for dialogue and cooperation, its engagement with members on domestic media freedom policies is voluntary and lacks a structured approach for supporting and tracking commitments. Joint advocacy statements have a greater impact locally than internationally and are often perceived as lacking boldness and clear outcomes. While the MFC has addressed high-profile cases, its focus has sometimes overshadowed broader, systemic media freedom challenges. Engagement with Rights-Holders and organisations working on the ground has been limited, impacting the relevance and sustainability of its strategies.
Coordination and collaboration within the MFC are foundational, particularly through diplomatic networks and the development of emergency visa schemes. However, decision-making is often reactive, affecting stakeholder trust. The MFC’s membership is perceived as predominantly Northern-led, and there is potential to leverage its diverse membership more effectively.
Knowledge management and information-sharing need strengthening to ensure a deeper understanding of media freedom issues among Member States. The high-level legal expertise of the HLP is underutilised. Clarity around decision-making processes among Member States varies, influencing trust-based collaboration. While engagement at the local level through embassies is effective, it requires more structured guidance and support. Coordination between Member States, the CN, and the HLP remains limited in some areas.
In terms of sustainability, the current governance model, particularly the annual rotation of Executive Group co-chairs, can present challenges for knowledge retention and continuity. Funding modalities are complex, leading to perceptions of uneven distribution and impacting trust and coordination. While the MFC has developed working relationships with similar coalitions, more formalised collaboration could maximise resource efficiency. The limited engagement with Rights-Holders influences the visibility and perceived effectiveness of the MFC’s work." (Key findings and conclusions, pages 2-3)
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"This report presents findings from the third wave of the Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS3), conducted between 2021 and 2025. In this iteration, we focused on journalists’ perceptions of risk and uncertainty in their profession and sought to identify key factors that shape how journalists navigate
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journalism’s changing environment. These risks and uncertainties arise from four partially overlapping domains: politics, economy, technology, and news consumption. Accordingly, the WJS3 questionnaire addressed journalists’ safety, editorial freedom, professional roles, news influences, and labor conditions. Our survey confirms that journalism is under pressure. Journalists worldwide are often undercompensated, and more than one-third engage in secondary employment. Economic pressures on news organizations have intensified in most countries. Nearly half of journalists have been targeted with hate speech, while psychological, physical, and digital threats are more prevalent in the Global South than in the Global North. More than 300 researchers from 75 countries participated in WJS3. This report provides a concise overview of key global findings. Subsequent publications will analyze specific topics in greater depth; please visit worldsofjournalism.org for more information." (Foreword, page 4)
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"This study explores the usefulness of Community Information Centres (CICs) amidst growing ubiquity of mobile phones. It examines how CICs can play a complementary role to personal mobile phones, specifically in facilitating access to information that translates into social and economic progress. Th
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is study was guided by an Integrative Model of Digital Engagement and Impact (IMDEI) employing selected constructs from three dominant theories namely the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Through a quantitative research design, 500 respondents from 10 CICs were surveyed with 451 valid responses returned. SPSS and SmartPLS software version 25.0 were used to process and analyse the data collected. The findings indicate that although mobile phones are suitable for simple tasks, complicated tasks are better performed in CICs, suggesting a complementary nature of the two (2). The study recommends that future telecentre initiatives adopt models of co-location, which are so far lacking in the Ghanaian case. Moreover, the paper discusses the implications of increased information availability, which allows CICs to widen the scope of services and involve more citizens in their operations, thereby enhancing involvement in activities. The research also discusses the implications of universal service on a wider scale, challenging the adequacy of current service definitions to cater to the needs of heterogeneous communities. The paper concludes that CICs remain an indispensable facility for equitable information access and a source of empowerment, but their success hinges on user participation, adequate policies, and deliberate technology integration. The paper argues for a balanced approach that utilises both mobile technology and CICs to maximize community development and engagement. This study contributes to the ongoing discussion on the role of information access in community development in an increasingly digitalised world." (Abstract)
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"The uniqueness of journalism cultures across African nations often highlights the inapplicability of normative, Western-centric theories. The newly proposed African media typology suggests that media systems in Africa would be best understood by thinking about them within the context of the type of
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individual in a leadership position in that country at a specific moment in time. This study aims to begin operationalizing the African media typology by investigating journalist perspectives about political leadership, changes in press freedom, and the role of news media in promoting or inhibiting various forms of development and democratization. Cross-national surveys of journalists in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, conducted in 2019 (N = 424 journalists: 174 in Rwanda, 148 in Uganda, and 102 in Kenya), reveal ways in which journalists’ perceptions about the role of news media as contributing to various forms of development are similar and different across varying media environments within the typology." (Abstract)
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"During the COVID-19 crisis, journalists doubled efforts to keep societies informed, safe, and disease-free. The study examines and compares specific challenges that journalists, based in diverse world regions, confronted during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was conducted with 215 journalists work
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ing in 45 countries, following geographical and gender balance, to analyse journalistic skills, information and pressures received, institutional support provided by national authorities and international organizations, actions against disinformation and fake news, as well as the impact that the crisis would have on journalism. The paper shows key differences in the experiences of journalists regarding the world region highlighting the complexity of the media ecosystems and the various challenges that local journalists had covering the pandemic. After mapping those challenges, the paper tries to list key strategies to position and strengthen journalism upon future crises and to highlight the relevance of professional media as a crucial element in crisis management." (Abstract)
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"Malawian journalists are ambivalent in their roles. They perceive themselves as faithful reporters and objective analysts of current affairs, who not only help their audiences make informed decisions, but also give voice to the people (see Table 1). They also perceive themselves as monitors and scr
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utinizers of political leadership and business. This approach would classify Malawians journalists as operating within the Occidental/Western journalism framework. However, the same journalists also see themselves as advocates for social change, supporters of national development, motivators of popular political participation, and educators of their audiences. More than half of the respondents stuck to their traditional roles of providing advice, orientation and direction for daily life as well as providing entertainment and relaxation. While the Malawian journalists portray themselves as professionals with the mission to contribute positively to national governance and promote social change, they avoid being adversaries of their government or promoters of political leadership." (Journalistic roles, page 2)
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"Knapp 93 Prozent der deutschsprachigen Bevölkerung ab 14 Jahren hören der ma 2025 Audio I zufolge regelmäßig Audioangebote. Fast drei Viertel schalten täglich mindestens ein Radioprogramm ein und dies über vier Stunden lang. Der Radiomarkt fragmentiert weiter – die Anzahl der genannten Send
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er, an die sich die für die ma Befragten erinnern, hat sich von 1996 bis heute mehr als verdoppelt. Rund drei Fünftel der Radiohörerinnen und -hörer weisen eine hohe Senderbindung auf und schalten an einem Durchschnittstag nur einen Sender ein. Am Beispiel des Saarlands zeigt sich, dass Radiosender mit einer starken regionalen Verwurzelung auch in einem sich verändernden Marktumfeld weiterhin in der Hörergunst vorne liegen." (Kurz und knapp, Seite 1)
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"42 Prozent der 14- bis 40-Jährigen in Deutschland nutzen Twitch mindestens selten. Die Twitch-User sind überwiegend männlich und zum größten Teil zwischen 21 und 30 Jahren alt. Gaming ist meist der erste Berührungspunkt mit Twitch. Auf der Plattform stehen Content-Creator und ihre Livestreams
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im Fokus, die ein Community-Gefühl und eine enge Bindung entstehen lassen. Der Anteil politischer Inhalte auf Twitch wird von 30 Prozent der für die Studie befragten gesellschaftspolitisch interessierten Nutzerinnen und Nutzern als „sehr groß“, von weiteren 41 Prozent als „eher groß“ wahrgenommen. Vor allem Fake News, Mobbing und Hatespeech werden von den Befragten als potenzielle Gefahren auf der Plattform eingeschätzt." (Kurz und knapp, Seite 1)
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"This study modelled the factors that influence fake news spreading behaviour among social media users. To gather our data, we used an online survey to sample 385 social media users in Nigeria, using a chain referral approach. Smart PLS structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data (SEM
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). We discovered that lack of mindfulness, religiosity, instant news sharing, self-expression all predicted fake news sharing behaviour of social media users. The impacts of lack of mindfulness and religiosity were found to have a greater effect on fake news sharing behaviour. Exploration was found to have a negative effect on fake news sharing. We concluded this study with some theoretical and practical implications." (Abstract)
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"The rise of Generative AI (GenAI) in knowledge workflows raises questions about its impact on critical thinking skills and practices. We survey 319 knowledge workers to investigate 1) when and how they perceive the enaction of critical thinking when using GenAI, and 2) when and why GenAI affects th
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eir effort to do so. Participants shared 936 first-hand examples of using GenAI in work tasks. Quantitatively, when considering both task- and user-specific factors, a user’s task-specific self-confidence and confidence in GenAI are predictive of whether critical thinking is enacted and the effort of doing so in GenAI-assisted tasks. Specifically, higher confidence in GenAI is associated with less critical thinking, while higher self-confidence is associated with more critical thinking. Qualitatively, GenAI shifts the nature of critical thinking toward information verification, response integration, and task stewardship. Our insights reveal new design challenges and opportunities for developing GenAI tools for knowledge work." (Abstract)
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"This report presents the main results of the surveys for journalists launched by the European cofunded project Taktak in collaboration with Display Europe in July and November 2024. The surveys aimed to have an overview of the working life of journalists in Europe, and gathered 436 replies. The two
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surveys were both translated in 13 languages (English, Spanish, German, Catalan, Galego, Greek, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, French, Italian, Portuguese, Serbo-Croatian and Romanian). This report does not claim to be a representation of the working conditions of journalists in Europe but nevertheless gives an important insight on the subject. The respondents of the Taktak survey come from 33 different European countries (21 from EU member states, 13 from European countries and 8 non-European countries). The majority of respondents are experienced journalists aged between 40 and 49 years old (29,13%), and almost half of them, 49,7%, have been working for more than 15 years as a journalist. Also, for 61% of them, their journalistic work represents about 80-100% of their income [...]
The survey results include a sample of various employment contracts of journalists: over half (51,67%) of respondents are freelancers or work under non-employment contracts, while 39,44% are full-time employees. Respondents were also asked to elaborate on their type of contracts and there, a distinction must be made between employed and freelance journalists. Freelancers face precarious working conditions: low pay, lack of social benefits and administrative burdens, which leads to financial instability and stress. On the other side, employed journalists benefit from job stability, social security, and consistent income. However, respondents also mentioned restrictive work environments, and limited professional growth. Regional differences are also important to take into account regarding labor laws and the war in Ukraine. Overall, 52.5% of respondents are satisfied with their contracts, while 29.55% expressed dissatisfaction. Satisfaction varies significantly between freelancers and employees, with freelancers often struggling to sustain themselves even though the passion for journalism remains high." (Pages 2-4)
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"Based on an online survey with 330 Chilean journalists and 4,615 media users, this study examines the discrepancies between the expectations of Chilean audiences and news professionals regarding journalistic roles and their evaluation of media performance. The findings reveal that audiences place g
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reater importance on the disseminator and public service–oriented roles, while journalists prioritize roles aimed at influencing the public. Regarding media performance, audiences believe that journalism favors industry-oriented roles over those they prioritize. In contrast, journalists believe that the media mostly perform roles aligned with the audience’s expectations. Our results also show that although the watchdog and disseminator roles are strong predictors of quality journalism for both groups, the civic role only impacts quality journalism in the case of news professionals. Instead, audiences associate good journalism with practices that address their everyday problems, such as the ones represented by the service role." (Abstract)
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"Im ersten Teil geben wir einen Überblick über den Einsatz von generativer KI in der politischen Kampagnenkommunikation. Insbesondere die generativen KI-Tools ChatGPT und Midjourney werden zunehmend in politischen Kampagnen eingesetzt, um menschenähnliche Texte beziehungsweise fotorealistische Bi
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lder zu erstellen [...] Der zweite Teil liefert ein umfassendes Bild von den Einstellungen der deutschen Bevölkerung zum Einsatz von generativer KI in politischen Kampagnen. Dafür haben wir eine repräsentative Online-Befragung von knapp 2.000 Teilnehmenden durchgeführt und Menschen zu ihrem KI-Wissen und ihren Einschätzungen zur KI-Nutzung in der Politik befragt [...] Im dritten Teil der Studie untersuchen wir, inwieweit KI-generierte Botschaften in politischen Kampagnen von Bürger*innen erkannt und wahrgenommen werden, aber auch wie sie ihre Einstellungen hinsichtlich des politischen Einsatzes von generativer KI beeinflussen. Dafür haben wir ein Online-Experiment mit ebenfalls rund 2.000 neuen Teilnehmenden durchgeführt." (Einleitung, Seiten 7-8)
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"Una ricerca di dottorato triennale ha indagato il rapporto tra i seminaristi in Italia e i social media. L’indagine, di cui vengono pubblicati qui i risultati, è stata condotta sotto la responsabilità scientifica della Facoltà di Scienze della Comunicazione sociale dell’Università Pontifici
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a Salesiana, promossa dall’Associazione dei WebCattolici Italiani (WeCa) – grazie alla disponibilità dei seminaristi e dei Rettori dei Seminari maggiori d’Italia – in collaborazione con l’Ufficio nazionale per la Pastorale delle Vocazioni e l’Ufficio per le Comunicazioni Sociali della Conferenza Episcopale Italiana (CEI). Più libri in un solo testo: lo stato della questione del rapporto dei giovani con i social media e dei pro e contro di tale relazione; la ricostruzione del cammino della presenza della Chiesa italiana nell’ambiente digitale dagli anni precedenti il 2000 sino ad oggi; le nuove tecnologie e la pastorale durante il lockdown; un focus sulla formazione nei Seminari; una fotografia aggiornata e, a tratti inedita, dei seminaristi in Italia, e i risultati della ricerca." (Descrizione della casa editrice)
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"The relationship between the sound industry and its audience is influenced by the widespread use of smartphones as the primary means of accessing the internet. This has led to a transformation in media logics, particularly among young people in Colombia, as they adapt to an evolving ecosystem that
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is redefining the creation, production and distribution of media. The objective of this research is to determine the significance of podcasts in the information consumption habits of listeners/users and to examine how this digital innovation is positioned in the content offer of radio and independent producers. The study employs a mixed methodological approach, including a case study that involves the administration of 190 surveys to young people, the review and listening of digital repositories of podcast platforms and the conducting of fifteen interviews with podcast producers. The main conclusion drawn is that podcasts are revitalizing audio content on-screen, connecting young people with information and the reality of their environment." (Abstract)
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