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Protection mechanisms in Latin America: How to strengthen the fragile shield protecting journalists

Paris: Reporters Without Borders (2024), 13 pp.

"Ensuring a safe environment for journalists continues to be a major challenge for Latin America’s democracies. At least 338 journalists have been killed in the region since 2000. These deaths have been compounded by waves of harassment, arbitrary arrests and judicial persecution, which have force ... d journalists to flee abroad. Due to this systemic violence, protection mechanisms are urgently needed. These statesector programmes aim to protect individuals who are exposed to risks because of their journalistic work or because they combat corruption, organised crime, and abuses carried out by authorities. These initiatives are often launched in response to pressure from civil society and international organisations. In the past ten years, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, and Honduras all established such mechanisms. More recently, Ecuador and Peru launched protection initiatives in response to increased attacks. After several administrations that were hostile towards the media, Guatemala is now also trying to implement a protection policy, while draft laws are being discussed in Chile and Paraguay. Despite national differences, these mechanisms are built around common missions: assessing risks, determining appropriate measures and implementing protection plans for those under state protection. The methods used can take various forms, ranging from regular police patrols and emergency communication channels with law enforcement to enhanced protection measures such as bodyguards, armoured vehicles, bulletproof vests, surveillance cameras, and even relocation to safer places in the most serious situations. With support from UNESCO, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has worked to strengthen these mechanisms since 2021. In 2022, RSF published a report entitled “Protection paradigm: making protection mechanisms work for Latin American journalists” on Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, and Honduras. Now, this report focuses on the initiatives emerging in Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, and Peru. Through this report, RSF reaffirms its commitment — together with civil society and authorities — to establishing concrete responses to the threats against journalists. The number of protection mechanisms are growing, but their efficacy varies considerably and depends on an integrated approach involving various actors in order to prevent violence and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. Many programmes are cruelly lacking in resources and can offer only limited state support, meaning they often fail to react to threats or prosecute attackers." (Foreword, page 3) more

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Dealing with the Black Box: European Journalists and the Threats of Spyware

Philip Di Salvo

Digital Journalism (2024), 20 pp.

"Revelations from the 2021 “Pegasus Project” investigation into the use of spyware have confirmed long-held concerns about the proliferation of the technology as a surveillance solution to monitor the activities of journalists around the world. Spyware is a particularly malicious form of malware ... more

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Le journalisme sénégalais a la croisée des chemins

Sadibou Marong, Camille Montagu

Paris: Reporters Sans Frontières (2024), 27 pp.

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Journalists in the midst of full-scale war: Report on Ukraine

Ievgeniia Oliinyk, Tetiana Gordiienko, Dariya Orlova et al.

Human Rights Platform; Solidarity Fund PL (2024), 80 pp.

External Link (176)

Google Scholar (199)

WorldCat (247)

Monitoring journalism safety

Manizja Aziz, Leon Willems

In: The Routledge Handbook of Conflict and Peace Communication

Stacey L. Connaughton, Stefanie Pukallus (eds.)

London; New York: Routledge (2024), 10 pp.

"This chapter discusses the monitoring of violations of the right to life and safety of journalists. The safety of journalists is a prerequisite for the provision of access to reliable information to the public, but journalists worldwide face risks as a result of their work. Monitoring violations he ... more

External Link (170)

Safety Resources
Key Guides

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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Safety of women journalists

International Media Support (IMS) (2024), 6 pp.

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Watching the watchdogs: Spyware surveillance of journalists in Europe and the ongoing fight for accountability

Jamie Wiseman, Szabolcs Panyi, Konstantina Maltepioti, Thodoris Chondrogiannos

Potsdam; Vienna: Friedrich Naumann Foundation; International Press Institute (IPI) (2024), 18 pp.

"The surveillance of journalists, including using spyware technology, poses a fundamental threat to media freedom, the digital safety of journalists, and source protection within the European Union. The agreement on the European Media Freedom Act in December 2023 offers some further protections agai ... more

External Link (195)

Google Scholar (181)

WorldCat (163)

Challenges to journalism safety education in Pakistan: Proposing a new theoretical model

Rabia Noor

Media Practice and Education, volume 25, issue 3 (2024), pp. 286-301

"This article explores the challenges faced by the media education and curricula development in Pakistan, and how the safety of journalists is apportioned in the courses and curriculum of mass communication in different universities. The study uses a mixed method research, including quantitative app ... more

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Attacks Against Journalists in Brazil: Catalyzing Effects and Resilience During Jair Bolsonaro’s Government

Joao V. S. Ozawa, Taeyoung Lee Josephine Lukito, Varma, Anita, Rosental Alves

International Journal of Press/Politics, volume 29, issue 4 (2024), pp. 847-868

"Attacks on journalists have become a growing concern in democracies around the world. Past scholarship suggests that such attacks could lead to a chilling effect of journalists self-censoring their reporting. However, there is limited empirical work that substantiates the effects of attacks on jour ... more

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Safety Training in a War Zone: Effectiveness and Long-Term Impact: HEFAT Evaluation Study

2402 Foundation; Daily Humanity (2024), 27 pp.

External Link (177)

Voices from Exile: The Safety Needs of Myanmar Women Journalists

Yucca Wai, Joseph Andersson

Exile Hub (2024), 104 pp.

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Press Freedom in the Time of COVID-19: The Philippine Experience Under the Duterte Administration

Candace Noreen Bagalawis, Rose Marie Villanueva, Jovito Jose Katigbak

Advances in Southeast Asian Studies (ASEAS), volume 17, issue 1 (2024), pp. 63-84

"The media plays an important role in disseminating vital information and being ‘watchdogs’ of government misconduct. Press freedom is constitutionally guaranteed in the Philippines, but the space for journalists and media companies continues to shrink. This is because constant attempts have bee ... more

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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

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First be safe: Exploring and improving journalists’ skills in digital security

Jannis Frech, Volker Lilienthal, Viviane Schönbächler

Journalism, volume 26, issue 8 (2024), pp. 1742-1760

"Despite the scientific significance of journalism practice, the gap between academic and applied fields persists. In this paper, based on our project on the digital security of journalists and their sources, we argue that practice-relevant research in the form of the action-innovation model benefit ... more

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Freedom of Afghan Media: Challenges facing Afghan journalists in Afghanistan and abroad

Mujtaba Haris

Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) (2024), 38 pp.

"Erosion of Media Freedom in Afghanistan: Since the Taliban regained power in August 2021, media freedom in Afghanistan has drastically declined. Over half of the country's media outlets have closed, leading to widespread unemployment among journalists. The Taliban's media policies enforce strict ce ... nsorship, resulting in self-censorship and threats to journalists still working. As one journalist in Kabul said, "The media in Afghanistan is dead; we were forced out of our jobs, and those who remain face daily threats." Severe Content Censorship: The Taliban has imposed strict regulations on media content, banning any reports that contradict their interpretation of Islamic values or Afghan national interests. As a result, 95% of journalists surveyed in Afghanistan reported facing restrictions when attempting to document and broadcast their work. "We are no longer allowed to report on incidents involving the Taliban, especially when it comes to conflicts within their ranks," shared a journalist from Badakhshan. Gender-Based Discrimination and Exclusion: Female journalists have been systematically targeted, leading many to leave the profession. Women working in the media are subjected to strict limitations, such as being required to cover their faces while on air and being denied opportunities to work. This has effectively silenced female voices in Afghan media. Arbitrary Detention and Physical Abuse: The Taliban have used arbitrary detention and physical abuse as tools to suppress independent journalism. Journalists are often detained without charge, held in poor conditions, and subjected to physical abuse. "Many of us live in fear of being arrested without cause," said one journalist who had been detained. The report found that 73% of detained journalists reported experiencing physical abuse during their detention. Self-Censorship as a Survival Tactic: The pervasive atmosphere of fear and intimidation has led to widespread self-censorship among journalists, both within Afghanistan and in exile. This has resulted in a homogenized media landscape, with many journalists avoiding sensitive topics to protect themselves from potential repercussions. A journalist in Afghanistan said, "Many of us live in fear of being arrested without cause." (Key findings, page 6) more

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News Under Siege: The Impact of COVID-19 on Journalists in Pakistan with Focus on AJK and GB

Syed Mubashar Hussain Shah, Babar Hussain Shah

International Journal of Kashmir Studies, volume 6, issue 1 (2024), pp. 205-233

"This study investigates the experiences of journalists during COVID-19 pandemic from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) through a series of focus group discussions (FGDs). The research aims to develop strategies for enhancing journalists' capabilities and well-being in anticipat ... more

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An Intersectional Analysis of Aotearoa New Zealand Journalists’ Online and Offline Experiences of Abuse, Threats and Violence

Susan Fountaine, Cathy Strong

Journalism Studies, volume 25, issue 2 (2024), pp. 160-180

"Criticism towards journalists has increased significantly since the internet created easy and anonymous communication and has turned more abusive and threatening in recent years, becoming a regular feature of journalists’ work environment, particularly for women. This article presents survey data ... more

External Link (177)

Google Scholar (158)

WorldCat (160)

Safety and security of journalists in Ghana: Policies and journalists’ perception of stakeholders, issues and practices

Michael Yao Wodui Serwornoo

Journal of African Media Studies, volume 16, issue 3 (2024), pp. 285-301

"This study examines the safety and security of journalists in Ghana, assessing their satisfaction with key media stakeholders and the state of press freedom through the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) journalists’ safety indicators. Using a predominan ... more

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Press and planet in danger: Safety of environmental journalists – trends, challenges and recommendations

Kristjan Burgess, John-Bosco Maylga, Nadia Anna Mandl

Paris: UNESCO (2024), 18 pp.

"At least 749 journalists, groups of journalists, and news media outlets reporting on environmental issues have been attacked in 89 countries between 2009 and 2023, in all regions of the world. Over 300 attacks occurred in the past five years, marking a 42% increase from the preceding five-year peri ... more

Safety Resources Key Guides

Safety Resources
Key Guides