The Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM) at the University of Sheffield (UK) is an interdisciplinary research centre with global outreach on issues of media freedom, journalism safety, editorial standards and impunity. During the 2022 Academic Consultation on the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, CFOM conducted a literature stocktake to scope out academic literature published in the area of media freedom, journalism safety and impunity. CFOM collated this information and produced a literature database organised by themes or countries for accessibility.  The collection is especially strong on country- and region-specific safety issues and on surveys of emotional wellbeing of journalists. This special collection is curated by gemma.horton@sheffield.ac.uk.

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Topics
Safety of Journalists, Safety Risks of Media Workers
465
Harassment & Intimidation of Journalists
185
Journalists Dealing with Risks & Threats, Resilience & Wellbeing of Media Workers
176
Female Journalists & Media Workers
132
Media Freedom, Press Freedom
107
Safety of Journalists: Law & Public Policies
78
Conflict Reporting, Armed Conflict Reporting
73
Killings of Journalists & Media Personnel
53
Violence Against Journalists & Media Personnel
53
Self-Censorship
53
Working Conditions of Journalists & Media Personnel
50
Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists & Media Personnel
42
War Reporting
39
Cybersecurity, Digital Safety, Privacy, Right to Privacy
28
Media Assistance: Freedom of Expression & Safety of Journalists
28
Press Freedom & Communication Rights Violations
28
Journalism Education & Training
28
COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects on Journalism, Media & Communication
28
Surveillance, Surveillance Technologies, Spyware
20
Foreign Correspondents
19
Investigative Journalism
19
Gender-Based Online Harassment & Sexual Threats
15
Censorship
13
Gender-Based Harassment, Intimidation & Violence
13
Journalists: Professional Identity & Values
13
Crime & Violence Reporting
12
Humanitarian Law
12
Protests, Protest Movements, Protest Reporting & Media Representation
12
Media Law & Regulation
12
Human Rights Protection
12
COVID-19 Communication
11
Media Law & Regulation: International Standards & Practices
11
Journalism
11
United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity
10
Cyberbullying, Cyberharassment
10
Freelance Journalists & Media Workers
10
Freedom of Expression
9
Countering Defamation & Harassment
9
Media Landscapes, Media Systems, Media Situation in General
9
Digital Activism, Cyber Advocacy
8
Local Journalism
8
Election Reporting
8
Authoritarian Regimes: Government Communication Strategies
7
Authoritarian Regimes: Media Systems & Landscapes
7
Digital Journalism, Online Journalism
7
Editorial Independence
6
Exile Journalism, Exile Media
6
Citizen Journalism, Community Journalism
6
Conflict Areas: Media Systems, Media Landscapes, Role of Media
6
Social Media in Political Communication
6
Countering Hate Speech, Disinformation & Propaganda
6
Journalism Ethics
6
United Nations (UN)
6
Photojournalism
6
Media Capture, Vested Political & Other Interests in the Media
6
Freedom of Expression Lobbying & Communication Rights Campaigning
5
Conflict-Sensitive & Peace Journalism
5
Foreign Conflict Reporting, International War Reporting
5
Trauma: Media Representation & Reporting
5
Journalistic Social Media Use
5
Media Viability & Financial Sustainability
5
Emergency Medical Aid
5
Russia: Foreign Information Operations, International Broadcasting, Public Diplomacy
5
UNESCO
5
Stringers & Fixers (Journalism)
5
Diversity & Pluralism in Media / Communication
5
Human Rights Violations
5
Police
5
Democracy / Democratization and Media
5
Research in Media & Communication
5
Access to Public Information, Freedom of Information, Right to Information
4
Advocacy
4
Freedom of Expression Principles
4
Indirect Censorship, Soft Censorship
4
Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP)
4
Military: Communication Strategies & Practices
4
Extremism & Terrorism Reporting
4
Disaster & Humanitarian Crisis Reporting
4
Disinformation, Misinformation, Fake News
4
Feminism & Communication
4
Transnational Journalism Cooperation & News Exchange
4
Council of Europe
4
Journalism Education Curricula
4
Journalists
4
Media Assistance
4
Populism
4
Corruption & Combating Corruption
4
Open Data
3
Authoritarian Regimes, Dictatorships
3
Internet Censorship Circumvention Tools & Strategies
3
Government Communication Strategies
3
Community Radios
3
Iraq War (2003)
3
Russia-Ukraine War <2014-
3
Trauma, Coping with Trauma, Trauma Therapy
3
Documenting Human Rights Violations
3
Accountability & Transparency of the Media
3
Associations & Networks of Journalists
3
Media Reporting, Reporting on Journalism & Communication Issues
3
Television Journalism
3
Media & Communication Policies
3
Post-Socialist Media Systems & Landscapes
3
Migration & Refugees Reporting & (Social) Media Representation
3
Caruana Galizia, Daphne (1964-2017)
3
Right-Wing Extremism
3
Public Media, State Media
3
Networks & Networking
3
User-Generated Contents
3
Civic Engagement, Citizen Participation, Civil Society & Media
2
Gender Advocacy & Empowerment, Gender Mainstreaming
2
Media Advocacy, Media Activism
2
Audience Feedback, Interaction & Participation
2
Independent & Oppositional Media in Authoritarian Regimes
2
Political Cartoons & Comics
2
Film Actors, Directors & Producers, Filmmakers
2
Data Protection: Law & Regulation
2
Media / Communication Control
2
Crisis Communication
2
Genocides
2
Perpetrators
2
Boko Haram
2
Transitional Justice Reporting
2
Media Criticism
2
Minority Journalists
2
Conspiracy Narratives, Conspiracy Theories
2
Climate Change Communication, Climate Journalism
2
Defamation Law & Regulation
2
Bribery & Corruption in Journalism
2
Objectivity & Veracity of Reporting
2
Fact-Checking & Verification of Sources
2
Gender Discrimination, Gender Inequalities
2
Good Practice Examples
2
Indigenous Journalists & Communicators
2
China: Transnational Information Operations, International Broadcasting, Public Diplomacy
2
Transnational & Comparative Communication Research
2
European Union (EU)
2
UNESCO & IPDC Media Assistance
2
Reporters Sans Frontièrs
2
Journalism Concepts & Cultures
2
Journalism Studies & Research
2
Journalistic Quality
2
Exiled Journalists
2
Corruption Reporting & Role of Media in Curbing Corruption
2
Political Reporting
2
Local Communication & Media
2
Confidential Sources, Whistleblowing, Protection of Journalists' Sources
2
Law & Regulation: Protection of Confidential Sources & Whistleblowers
2
Conflict & War Photography
2
Military
2
Opinion Leaders, Politicians, Decision Makers, Elites
2
Kompas (Newspaper, Indonesia)
2
Islamist Communications & Media
2
Research Methods
2
Crimes, Criminality, Organized Crime
2
Disappeared People, Missing People
2
Resilience
2
Access to Media & Information
1
Access to Media & Information: Migrants, Refugees, Diasporas
1
Access to Information Laws, Right to Information Regulation
1
Editorial Independence: Influence of Advertisers
1
Advocacy Campaigns
1
Civic Engagement, Citizen Participation, Civil Society & Digital Communication
1
Audiences & Users
1
Audience Expectations & Satisfaction
1
Audience Orientation
1
Social Media Analytics, Web Metrics, User Data Analytics
1
Trust in the Media, Credibility of Media
1
Authoritarian Regimes: Transnational Repression
1
Election Campaigns
1
Catholic Media
1
Documentaries, Television Documentaries, Web Documentaries
1
Digital Media Censorship, Control & Filtering, Internet & Social Media Censorship
1
Censorship Circumvention Tools & Strategies
1
State Influence on the Media
1
OSCE Representative of Freedom of the Media
1
Government / State Advertising: Allocation Policies & Regulation
1
Alternative Communication & Media
1
Conflicts: Victims' Perspectives
1
Terrorism
1
Gaza War (2023-)
1
Humanitarian Interventions
1
Iraq-Kuwait Gulf War (1990-1991)
1
War Crimes
1
Conflict-Sensitive / Peace Communication
1
Dealing With the Past
1
Human Rights Protection & Violations: Media Representation & Reporting
1
Information Warfare, Psychological Warfare
1
Media Assistance in Conflict Regions & Fragile Countries
1
Violence in the Media
1
Discourse & Discourse Analysis
1
Theatre
1
Financing Nonprofit Organizations
1
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
1
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
1
Algorithms & Big Data
1
Data Journalism, Computer-Assisted Investigative Reporting
1
Digital Media Startups
1
Digital Platform & Intermediaries Regulation
1
Digital & Information Literacy
1
Digital Political Communication
1
Online Magazines & Newspapers
1
Social Media
1
Content Moderation & Regulation: Social Media
1
Democratization & Digital Media / Social Media
1
Facebook
1
Twitter & Microblogs
1
Trolling (Social Media)
1
AI in Journalism & Media
1
Generative AI, including ChatGPT et al.
1
Digitalisation, Online Communication & Democracy / Democratization
1
Diaspora Media
1
Prisoners & Communication / Media
1
Racism
1
Religious Minorities & Media
1
Romani People
1
Disaster & Humanitarian Crisis Communication
1
Earthquakes, Floods, Tsunamis, Natural Disasters
1
Disinformation & Misinformation Law & Regulation
1
Election Campaigns: Disinformation & Misinformation
1
Foreign Disinformation, Foreign Information Manipulation Operations, Foreign Propaganda
1
Gendered Disinformation
1
Health Disinformation & Misinformation
1
Identifying & Researching Disinformation
1
Media Literacy: Disinformation, Fake News, Hate Speech
1
Media Commercialisation
1
Media Concentration
1
Media Ownership
1
Political Economy of Media
1
Public Goods, Commons
1
Infotainment, Politainment
1
Sports, Sports & Media, Sports Reporting
1
Environmental Journalism
1
Environmental & Land Conflicts Reporting & Media Representation
1
Defamation, Libel, Slander
1
Defamation: Effects on Victims
1
Bias in News Media
1
Self-Regulation of Media
1
Evaluation Criteria, Evaluation Indicators
1
Self-Assessment, Self-Evaluation
1
Gender and Media, Gender and Communication
1
Female Opinion Leaders, Politicians, Decision Makers
1
Gender-Based Harassment, Intimidation & Violence: Media Representation & Reporting
1
Gender Representation & Stereotypes in the Media
1
Media Assistance: Gender Focus
1
Health Journalism
1
Mental Health (General)
1
History of Journalism
1
History of the Press
1
Foreign Countries: Reporting & Media Representation
1
Foreign News, International News
1
International Media Associations / Organizations
1
Transnational Media Corporations, International Media Companies
1
OSCE
1
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
1
Collaborative Journalism, Journalism Cooperation
1
Constructive Journalism, Solution-Oriented Journalism
1
Journalism Studies: Research Projects
1
Vox Pop Interviews
1
Journalistic Skills
1
Journalistic Style & Language
1
Journalists: Trust in Public Institutions
1
Labour Market for Journalists
1
News Agencies
1
Newsroom Management
1
Business & Economics Journalism
1
Court Reporting & Media Representation of Judicial System
1
Death & Grief: Reporting & Media Representation
1
Service Journalism, Consumer Information, Lifestyle Journalism
1
Metaphors
1
Translations & Translating
1
Local Television
1
Media Assistance: Elections
1
Media Assistance: Financial Sustainability & Management
1
Media Assistance: Implementing Organizations
1
International Media Support (IMS) (Media Development NGO, Denmark)
1
Media Assistance: Journalists' Associations, Media Associations
1
Media Assistance: Law & Regulation, Media Policy Consultancies
1
Media Assistance: Media & Information Literacy
1
Media Development Indicators
1
Media & Information Literacy
1
Transition Countries: Media Systems & Media Landscapes
1
Criminal Law & Criminal Prosecution
1
Internet Governance, Internet Policies
1
Law, Legislation, Judiciary (General)
1
Transitional Justice
1
Contracts, Labour Agreements, Service Contracts
1
Forced Migration, Forced Displacement
1
Cadwalladr, Carole (British Investigative Journalist)
1
Khashoggi, Jamal (1958-2018)
1
Ressa, Maria
1
Photographers
1
Hindu Nationalism
1
Political Extremism
1
Fragile / Post-Conflict States
1
Security
1
Personal Safety
1
Parliaments
1
Politics and Media
1
Election Campaigns: Social Media
1
Independent & Oppositional Media
1
Influence of Media on Politics
1
Political Transition and Media
1
Public Spheres
1
Emotions in Communication & Media
1
Media Psychology, Communication Psychology
1
Persuasive Communication
1
Memory, Memorizing
1
Mental Stress
1
Opinion, Opinion Formation, Opinion Change
1
Fundamentalisms (Religious)
1
Communication & Media Indicators
1
Communication & Media Research Associations & Networks
1
Digital Sources
1
Political Indicators
1
Interviewing (Journalistic Genre)
1
Assassination
1
Human Security
1
Sexual Violence & Abuse, Rape
1
COVID-19 Pandemic: Economic, Political and Social Effects
1
Rohingya
1
Blockchain Technologies
1
Open Source Software
1
Telecommunication Law, Regulation & Policies
1
Al-Jazeera
1
Theories of Communication & Media
1
AI & Disinformation
1
Language
Document type
Countries / Regions
Authors & Publishers
Media focus
Publication Years
Methods applied
Journals
Output Type
"Colombian journalists experience abundant threats and acts of violence as well as corporate and governmental obstacles to publishing the truth. In response, many reporters engage in selfcensorship, eschewing stories to protect their livelihoods—and their very lives. Our in-depth interviews with s ... more

Confronting Freedom to Inform With Freedom of Expression: The Case of Online Attacks of Journalists in Ghana

In: Handbook of Research on Discrimination, Gender Disparity, and Safety Risks in Journalism
Hershey, PA: IGI Global (2021), pp. 269-296
"Globally, there is an increase in online attacks on journalists with gender dimensions to these attacks. Also, it is established that digital innovations have augmented free expression and the augmentation allows means for online attacks. Though evidence submits that studies on the problem of onlin ... more
"Since 2000, more than 150 journalists have been killed in Mexico. Today the country is one of the most dangerous in the world in which to be a reporter. In Surviving Mexico, Celeste González de Bustamante and Jeannine E. Relly examine the networks of political power, business interests, and organi ... more
"This study explores forms of social media fatigue described by professional journalists, including frustration with the perception of their increased affective labor, dissatisfaction with communication environments on particular social media platforms, and increased anxiety about the possible impac ... more

Sexism and Gender Discrimination in Pakistan's Mainstream News Media

In: Handbook of Research on Discrimination, Gender Disparity, and Safety Risks in Journalism
Hershey, PA: IGI Global (2021), pp. 60-89
"This research aims to examine how sexism and gender discrimination impacts women journalists in Pakistan. The International Federation of Journalists (2018-19) ranks Pakistan as the fourth most dangerous country for journalists. The Coalition for Women in Journalism declares Pakistan as the sixth-w ... more
"Across the globe, governments have issued emergency and drastic measures aimed at tracking the spread of COVID-19 and safeguarding public health. Notwithstanding the necessity and importance of some of these measures, this work argues that numerous governments around the world used the pandemic cri ... more
"In journalism, there are still growing concerns about the ratio of men to women, even though women's presence in the newsroom have increased progressively. The issues of gender stereotyping and discrimination against women have emerged over time and still remain an issue of great concern. In view o ... more

Globalizing the Battle Against Impunity

In: Regardless of Frontiers: Global Freedom of Expression in a Troubled World
New York: Colombia University Press (2021), pp. 227-252
"When press freedom groups began a campaign against impunity, they set out to gain justice in individual cases of journalists murdered for their work. Did a global norm evolve in the process? Among the rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19, is notable for its ele ... more
"Definitions of impunity regarding crimes against journalists have thus far been too narrow. Therefore, we propose a new approach to understanding impunity as also being grounded in journalists’ lived reality and perceptions to better understand the complexity and breadth of impunity. It is based ... more

Threats and Attacks on Women Journalists in the Philippines

In: Handbook of Research on Discrimination, Gender Disparity, and Safety Risks in Journalism
Hershey, PA: IGI Global (2021), pp. 43-59
"Due to continuing threats and attacks on the media, journalist safety has been the subject of increasing scholarly research in the Philippines. A gap in the literature, however, is research on safety issues affecting Filipino women journalists in particular, despite reports on specific challenges t ... more
"Utilizing a constellation of conceptual tenets drawn from critical digital technology theory, field theory and concepts of digital democracy, this article argues that the post-coup period in Zimbabwe has solidified digital journalism practices in three main ways. These are: (i) the consolidation of ... more
"Between 2012 and 2016, UNESCO registered 530 deaths of journalists. They also published a statistic showing that television journalists were the most killed, followed by print media, radio and online journalists. Hinted in this statistics is the need to understand the relationship between the mediu ... more
"Media freedom is primarily the freedom of diverse forms of media and sources of communication. Traditionally, freedom of the press is conceptualized as the freedom to publish; however, the notion of media freedom is much broader as it encompasses the freedom both to publish and to broadcast, emphas ... more
"This study seeks to investigate different types of threats which affect the journalists' safety in Egypt and how do they manage their work in the presence of the diverse threats. The study analyzes the Egyptian legislative framework in order to explain whether it protects media freedom and journali ... more
"Journalists have long been the targets of both physical and cyber-attacks from well-resourced adversaries. Internet of Things (IoT) devices are arguably a new avenue of threat towards journalists through both targeted and generalised cyber-physical exploitation. This study comprises three parts: Fi ... more
"Covering war conflicts may compromise the psychological and physical health of journalists because chronic exposure to these environments has been related to depression, memory dissociative processes, and post-traumatic stress disorder; however, acute effects have not been studied yet. Thus, a comb ... more
"This article highlights the potential for increased and more standardised monitoring of a range of aspects of the safety of journalists. This is in the light of a specific indicator that has been agreed by the UN as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The indicator concerned treats th ... more
"In recent years, resilience training has been recommended as a way to protect news workers from the impact of reporting on traumatic events. However, do journalists see it as a useful tool in dealing with online abuse and harassment? This article explores Australian journalists’ conceptions of re ... more
"This report identifies five major challenges for developing national plans for safety of journalists and how stakeholders are tackling them. The points addressed concern gaining engagement around safety of journalists by state actors, uniting and focusing efforts of disparate stakeholders into a du ... more
"This Handbook, which provides non-compulsory technical guidance to EU Delegations, aims to provide tools and hands-on examples to support them in implementing the the 2014 'EU Human Rights Guidelines on Freedom of Expression Online and Offline' and in taking actions to support the safety and securi ... more