commbox Journalists' Safety & Resilience

‘They blame the messenger’: Re-examining the critique of journalists reporting on genocide in Rwanda and Srebrenica

Caitlin Knight

Journalism, volume 25, issue 10 (2024), pp. 2117–2134

"Reporting on cases of genocide presents distinct complexities and challenges for journalists, who must negotiate practical, professional, and emotional experiences that challenge traditional expectations of their role. Previous research has provided strident critiques of this reporting, arguing Wes ... more

“You Feel Like You Don’t Have the Freedom to Do Your Work”: Exploring Fijian Women Journalists’ Experiences of Sexual Harassment

Folker Hanusch, Shailendra Singh, Birte Leonhardt, Geraldine Panapasa

Journalism Practice, volume 19, issue 11 (2024), pp. 2596-2615

"The topic of violence against women in journalism has received growing attention in scholarship, especially in terms of digital forms of harassment. At the same time, many women journalists continue to experience direct forms of harassment in the pursuit of their work. Focusing on the Pacific Islan ... more

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Infrastructural platform violence: How women and queer journalists and activists in Lebanon experience abuse on WhatsApp

Martin J. Riedl, Azza El-Masri, Inga K. Trauthig, Samuel C. Woolley

New Media & Society (2024), 20 pp.

"Technology-facilitated abuse and violence disproportionately affect marginalized people. While researchers have explored this issue in the context of public-facing social media platforms, less is known about how it plays out on more private messaging apps. This study draws on in-depth interviews wi ... more

Mapping Actions to Combat Online Violence against Female Journalists across the OSCE Participating States

Carla Agha Ebrahim, Annemarijn Johanna Cozijnsen

Regional Academy on the United Nations (RAUN) (2024), 56 pp.

"This paper presents an exploratory study aimed at systematically mapping the public actions taken by OSCE participating States to combat online violence against female journalists. Adopting a qualitative large N research design, the study examines national policies and initiatives across all 57 OSC ... more

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Shattered lives, unbroken stories: Journalists’ perspectives from the frontlines of the Israel–Gaza war

Shahira S. Fahmy, Mohamed Salama, Mona Raafat Alsaba

Online Media and Global Communication, volume 3, issue 2 (2024), pp. 151-180

"This study sheds light on the unprecedented complexities of the Israel–Gaza war, offering insights into the challenges that journalists face in this conflict zone. It employs the Hierarchy of Influences Model to analyze the factors influencing conflict reporting within the dynamic landscape of co ... more

Legal Strategies for Protecting Journalists in Conflict Zones

Fatimah Sahdan, Jelena Gregorius

Interdisciplinary Studies in Society, Law, and Politics, volume 3, issue 2 (2024), pp. 25-31

"The safety of journalists in conflict zones remains a critical concern, with myriad risks stemming from both physical and digital threats. This study aims to explore the legal strategies that can effectively protect journalists in these environments, focusing on understanding the existing legal fra ... more

Teaching Safety of Journalists: Student Responses and Solutions to Occupational Risks and Hostility

Signe Ivask

Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, volume 79, issue 3 (2024), pp. 306-322

"This study explores journalism students’ responses to hazards and hostility in the profession within a Safety of Journalists course. The research uses focus group interviews, field notes, study diaries, written tasks, and Teams’ chat logs of 11 students. Students’ reactions to the hazards hig ... more

Freedom of the Press, and Journalism Practices in Times of Uncertainty in the Case of Ethiopia

Mulatu Alemayehu Moges

Journalism Practice (2024), 19 pp.

"Ethiopia has been in a new transition since 2018 which resulted in changes in political arenas. In this period, the country has also been experiencing internal conflict and political instabilities. This article assesses how the political environment is convenient for the journalists to freely repor ... more

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“When One Finger Picks Oil, It Reaches Others”: An Examination of Nigerian Journalists’ Perspective on Motivations for Online Harassment

Temple Uwalaka, A. Fred Amadi

African Journalism Studies, volume 44, issue 4 (2024), pp. 289-309

"Online harassment of journalists is increasingly becoming a global phenomenon. Many attempts have been made to investigate the prevalence of the phenomenon. Unfortunately, findings prove that online harassment of journalists is indeed on the rise. What is lacking, so far, in the literature is an in ... more

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Journalism and Safety: An Introduction to the Field

Oscar Westlund, Roy Krøvel, Kristin Skare Orgeret (eds.)

London; New York: Routledge (2024), xi, 311 pp.

"This volume presents key international research on journalism and safety with a focus on conceptual, global, and transnational approaches, as well as conflict, challenges, and consequences for democracy. It offers an overview of the latest research and ongoing developments in the field of journalis ... more

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How News Organizations Cultivate and Maintain Sexist Newsrooms via Gendered Journalistic Norms, Sexual Harassment, and the Boys’ Club

Lindsey E. Blumell, Dinfin Mulupi

Women's Studies in Communication, volume 47, issue 3 (2024), pp. 268-291

"This study used in-depth interviews and focus groups of editors and journalists in Kenya (N*=*55) to show how news organizations fail to prioritize gender equality. All participants identified a gendered hierarchy in newsrooms, which participants believed connects to other inequalities such as stor ... more

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Safety Resources
Key Guidance

Acos Alliance (2024)

"Our resources include a curated selection of the most practical safety guides from ACOS signatories and partners, alongside specially-designed tools and templates for journalists, editors and newsrooms." (https://www.acosalliance.org/resources)

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Online Harassment, Psychological Stressors, and Occupational Dysfunction among Journalists Working in a Conflict Zone

Sayyed Fawad Ali Shah, Ivana Cvetkovic, Tamar Ginossar, Rahman Ullah, Danish Baber, Autumn Slaughter

Digital Journalism, volume 12, issue 6 (2024), pp. 735-752

"Amid increasing threats and assaults against journalists across the globe, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province in northwest Pakistan remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists. Whereas online harassment is increasingly affecting journalists, experiences of online harassment ... more

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Voices from Exile: The Safety Needs of Myanmar Women Journalists

Yucca Wai, Joseph Andersson

Exile Hub (2024), 104 pp.

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Emergent Forms and Patterns of Online Harassment of Women Journalists in African countries

Blessing Makwambeni, Patricia Rudo Makwambeni

In: Patterns of Harassment in African Journalism

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

London; New York: Routledge (2024), pp. 49-66

"The internet and digital platforms have contributed to the democratisation of the public sphere. A number of studies have shown how the internet and new digital platforms have brought subaltern voices into the mainstream. However, recent studies show that on the flip side, the cybersphere also prom ... more

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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

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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

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“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

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