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.

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Topics
Safety of Journalists, Safety Risks of Media Workers
281
Harassment & Intimidation of Journalists
172
Journalists Dealing with Risks & Threats, Resilience & Wellbeing of Media Workers
147
Female Journalists & Media Workers
108
Media Freedom, Press Freedom
89
Safety of Journalists: Law & Public Policies
58
Conflict Reporting, Armed Conflict Reporting
57
Self-Censorship
51
Working Conditions of Journalists & Media Personnel
42
Killings of Journalists & Media Personnel
32
Violence Against Journalists & Media Personnel
27
COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects on Journalism, Media & Communication
27
Journalism Education & Training
25
War Reporting
24
Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists & Media Personnel
23
Press Freedom & Communication Rights Violations
22
Surveillance, Surveillance Technologies, Spyware
17
Investigative Journalism
15
Foreign Correspondents
14
Cybersecurity, Digital Safety, Privacy, Right to Privacy
13
Censorship
12
Journalists: Professional Identity & Values
12
Crime & Violence Reporting
10
Humanitarian Law
10
COVID-19 Communication
10
Media Law & Regulation
10
Gender-Based Online Harassment & Sexual Threats
9
Media Law & Regulation: International Standards & Practices
9
Journalism
9
Freelance Journalists & Media Workers
9
Digital Activism, Cyber Advocacy
8
Gender-Based Harassment, Intimidation & Violence
8
Protests, Protest Movements, Protest Reporting & Media Representation
8
Media Landscapes, Media Systems, Media Situation in General
8
Authoritarian Regimes: Government Communication Strategies
7
United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity
7
Media Assistance: Freedom of Expression & Safety of Journalists
6
Citizen Journalism, Community Journalism
6
Digital Journalism, Online Journalism
6
Social Media in Political Communication
6
Media Capture, Vested Political & Other Interests in the Media
6
Authoritarian Regimes: Media Systems & Landscapes
5
Foreign Conflict Reporting, International War Reporting
5
Journalistic Social Media Use
5
Local Journalism
5
Photojournalism
5
Election Reporting
5
Human Rights Protection
5
Research in Media & Communication
5
Editorial Independence
4
Military: Communication Strategies & Practices
4
Conflict-Sensitive & Peace Journalism
4
Trauma: Media Representation & Reporting
4
Cyberbullying, Cyberharassment
4
Countering Hate Speech, Disinformation & Propaganda
4
Countering Defamation & Harassment
4
Feminism & Communication
4
Russia: Foreign Information Operations, International Broadcasting, Public Diplomacy
4
Transnational Journalism Cooperation & News Exchange
4
UNESCO
4
Journalism Education Curricula
4
Stringers & Fixers (Journalism)
4
Media Assistance
4
Populism
4
Open Data
3
Authoritarian Regimes, Dictatorships
3
Exile Journalism, Exile Media
3
Indirect Censorship, Soft Censorship
3
Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP)
3
Government Communication Strategies
3
Iraq War (2003)
3
Conflict Areas: Media Systems, Media Landscapes, Role of Media
3
Extremism & Terrorism Reporting
3
Disaster & Humanitarian Crisis Reporting
3
Disinformation, Misinformation, Fake News
3
Accountability & Transparency of the Media
3
Council of Europe
3
United Nations (UN)
3
Associations & Networks of Journalists
3
Journalists
3
Media Reporting, Reporting on Journalism & Communication Issues
3
Television Journalism
3
Post-Socialist Media Systems & Landscapes
3
Human Rights Violations
3
Caruana Galizia, Daphne (1964-2017)
3
Right-Wing Extremism
3
Democracy / Democratization and Media
3
Corruption & Combating Corruption
3
Networks & Networking
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
Data Protection: Law & Regulation
2
Freedom of Expression
2
Freedom of Expression Lobbying & Communication Rights Campaigning
2
Freedom of Expression Principles
2
Internet Censorship Circumvention Tools & Strategies
2
Crisis Communication
2
Genocides
2
Russia-Ukraine War <2014-
2
Transitional Justice Reporting
2
Media Criticism
2
Media Viability & Financial Sustainability
2
Climate Change Communication, Climate Journalism
2
Journalism Ethics
2
Bribery & Corruption in Journalism
2
Objectivity & Veracity of Reporting
2
Fact-Checking & Verification of Sources
2
Gender Discrimination, Gender Inequalities
2
Indigenous Journalists & Communicators
2
Transnational & Comparative Communication Research
2
Journalism Concepts & Cultures
2
Journalism Studies & Research
2
Journalistic Quality
2
Political Reporting
2
Media & Communication Policies
2
Confidential Sources, Whistleblowing, Protection of Journalists' Sources
2
Migration & Refugees Reporting & (Social) Media Representation
2
Conflict & War Photography
2
Military
2
Opinion Leaders, Politicians, Decision Makers, Elites
2
Kompas (Newspaper, Indonesia)
2
Public Media, State Media
2
Islamist Communications & Media
2
Resilience
2
User-Generated Contents
2
Access to Media & Information
1
Access to Media & Information: Migrants, Refugees, Diasporas
1
Access to Public Information, Freedom of Information, Right to Information
1
Access to Information Laws, Right to Information Regulation
1
Editorial Independence: Influence of Advertisers
1
Advocacy
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
Election Campaigns
1
Catholic Media
1
Film Actors, Directors & Producers, Filmmakers
1
Digital Media Censorship, Control & Filtering, Internet & Social Media Censorship
1
Media / Communication Control
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
Community Radios
1
Conflicts: Victims' Perspectives
1
Perpetrators
1
Terrorism
1
Boko Haram
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
Media Assistance in Conflict Regions & Fragile Countries
1
Trauma, Coping with Trauma, Trauma Therapy
1
Violence in the Media
1
Discourse & Discourse Analysis
1
Theatre
1
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
1
Algorithms & Big Data
1
Digital Media Startups
1
Digital Platform & Intermediaries Regulation
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
Minority Journalists
1
Prisoners & Communication / Media
1
Racism
1
Religious Minorities & Media
1
Earthquakes, Floods, Tsunamis, Natural Disasters
1
Conspiracy Narratives, Conspiracy Theories
1
Disinformation & Misinformation Law & Regulation
1
Foreign Disinformation, Foreign Information Manipulation Operations, Foreign Propaganda
1
Health Disinformation & Misinformation
1
Media Literacy: Disinformation, Fake News, Hate Speech
1
Documenting Human Rights Violations
1
Media Commercialisation
1
Media Concentration
1
Media Ownership
1
Political Economy of Media
1
Infotainment, Politainment
1
Sports Reporting
1
Environmental & Land Conflicts Reporting & Media Representation
1
Defamation: Effects on Victims
1
Bias in News Media
1
Evaluation Criteria, Evaluation Indicators
1
Female Opinion Leaders, Politicians, Decision Makers
1
Gender Representation & Stereotypes in the Media
1
Emergency Medical Aid
1
Health Journalism
1
Mental Health (General)
1
History of Journalism
1
History of the Press
1
China: Transnational Information Operations, International Broadcasting, Public Diplomacy
1
Foreign Countries: Reporting & Media Representation
1
Foreign News, International News
1
European Union (EU)
1
OSCE
1
Reporters Sans Frontièrs
1
Collaborative Journalism, Journalism Cooperation
1
Constructive Journalism, Solution-Oriented Journalism
1
Journalism Studies: Research Projects
1
Vox Pop Interviews
1
Journalists: Trust in Public Institutions
1
Labour Market for Journalists
1
Newsroom Management
1
Business & Economics Journalism
1
Corruption Reporting & Role of Media in Curbing Corruption
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: Financial Sustainability & Management
1
Diversity & Pluralism in Media / Communication
1
Media & Information Literacy
1
Law, Legislation, Judiciary (General)
1
Law & Regulation: Protection of Confidential Sources & Whistleblowers
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
Parliaments
1
Police
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
Memory, Memorizing
1
Fundamentalisms (Religious)
1
Communication & Media Indicators
1
Communication & Media Research Associations & Networks
1
Research Methods
1
Digital Sources
1
Political Indicators
1
Interviewing (Journalistic Genre)
1
Crimes, Criminality, Organized Crime
1
Human Security
1
Sexual Violence & Abuse, Rape
1
COVID-19 Pandemic: Economic, Political and Social Effects
1
Rohingya
1
Blockchain Technologies
1
Al-Jazeera
1
Theories of Communication & Media
1
Language
Document type
Countries / Regions
Authors & Publishers
Media focus
Publication Years
Methods applied
Journals
Output Type
"News organizations and journalists around the world have seen an increase in threats and attacks against themselves and their work. In Latin America, this is heightened by the ongoing state of violence. To continue producing quality investigative journalism, professionals must find ways to deal wit ... more
"The article outlines an evidence-informed approach for enhancing resilience, one of the key personal resources in labor, and explores the viability of this training for increasing journalists’ ability to manage everyday work-related stressors. The suggested pedagogy is in the form of a microinter ... more
"Literature notes that most journalists will witness trauma and human suffering during the course of their careers, yet journalism education is lagging behind in preparing students to cope with the effects of exposure to traumatic events. This paper examines the attitudes of journalism educators/tra ... more
"In conflict-ridden countries, the news media has a pivotal role to perform as an active advocate of human rights and societal peace, as well as a facilitator of conflict mitigation and resolution through the gathering and dissemination of non-partisan information. While today the world witness arme ... more

Safer Vox Pops and Door Knocking

In: Happiness in Journalism
Valérie Bélair-Gagnon; Avery E. Holton; Mark Deuze; Claudia Mellado (eds.)
London; New York: Routledge (2023), pp. 138-146
"This chapter overviews the harmful nature of these reporting practices and provides alternative reporting strategies and solutions that can improve reporters’ safety and increase their happiness in the profession." (Abstract)
"Whether you’re experiencing or witnessing online abuse, this Field Manual offers concrete strategies for how to defend yourself and others. We wrote this guidance with and for those disproportionately impacted by online abuse: writers, journalists, artists, and activists who identify as women, BI ... more
"Journalists are increasingly reporting that online harassment has become a common feature of their working lives, contributing to experiences of fatigue, anxiety and disconnection from social media as well as their profession. Drawing on interviews with American newsworkers, this study finds at lea ... more
"Due to the nature of their jobs, journalists reporting from theaters of war, destruction, and violence are frequently exposed to potentially traumatizing experience. This study explores how journalists go about trauma exposure, how they deal with its emotional fallout, and what support they get in ... more

Building Resilience Through Trauma Literacy in J-Schools

In: Happiness in Journalism
Valérie Bélair-Gagnon; Avery E. Holton; Mark Deuze; Claudia Mellado (eds.)
London; New York: Routledge (2023), pp. 47-56
"This chapter explores what educators can do to help students cope with trauma that they are likely to experience during their studies and in their future practice." (Abstract)

Reporting the MENA as Conflict: Political Influences, Routine Practices, and Journalists' Struggles in the Field

In: The Routledge Companion to Journalism in the Global South
Bruce Mutsvairo; Saba Bebawi; Eddy Borges-Rey (eds.)
London; New York: Routledge (2023), pp. 260-268
"Working in a conflict-ridden region, journalists in the Middle East have always struggled to report fairly and accurately while keeping in mind the power structures in their countries. For these journalists, practicing journalism in mostly authoritative governments has meant facing additional hurdl ... more
"Targeted attacks on journalists are internationally condemned crimes, which not only undermine freedom of expression, but also symbolize an utter disregard for basic human rights. Yet, murders of journalists occur in all types of regimes, whether autocratic or democratic. This article explores the ... more

Moving Beyond the Protest Paradigm? News Coverage of International Women’s Day Marches in Mexico

In: Violence Against Women in the Global South: Reporting in the #MeToo Era
Andrea Jean Baker; Celeste González de Bustamante; Jeannine E. Relly (eds.)
Cham: Palgrave Macmillan (2023), pp. 113-143
"The chapter examines how news coverage of feminist protests in Mexico, one of the most violent countries in the world for women and for journalists, has changed in mainstream Mexican media since the #MeToo movement’s revitalization after 2017. With few exceptions, news coverage in Mexico, a count ... more

Protecting journalists from harassment: Comparing existing protection mechanisms and the effects on democracy

In: Success and failure in news media performance: Comparative analysis in the Media for Democracy Monitor 2021
Josef Trappel; Tales Tomaz (eds.)
Gothenburg: Nordicom (2022), pp. 59-77
"There is a quickly increasing body of studies and reports on harassment and intimidation of journalists around the world. These series of acts have a chilling effect on media freedom and journalists’ freedom of expression. The research literature on the topic has mostly focused on intimidation an ... more

Freedom of Expression and Media Freedoms on the Eve of the Pandemic

In: Covid-19, State-Power and Society in Europe
Neven Andjelic
Cham: Springer (2022), pp. 117-135
"The diversity of the state of media freedoms in Europe is reflected in its geography, where more liberal regimes are to be found in the north and the west of the continent where the freedoms are secured firmer in countries’ legislations, governments’ practices, and citizens’ behaviours. Some ... more
"The COVID-19 pandemic, global economic downturn, anti-press violence and worsening situation of labour precarity for journalists around the world have led to increased stress, trauma and burnout in the profession, which raises questions at the heart of media sustainability and approaches to media d ... more
"This report is part of a UNESCO-financed project entitled “Improving monitoring for crimes against journalists”, which fits into the framework of the wider SDG 2030 Agenda. The first pillar of this project was a survey and in-depth interviews with civil society organisations involved in monitor ... more

SLAPPs against journalists across Europe

Article 19;Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) (2022), 86 pp.
"This report provides a Europe-wide overview of lawsuits that are taken to stifle scrutiny and public debate on issues such as corruption, mismanagement of public resources, and human rights violations. Such lawsuits, known as strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) are taken by pow ... more
"In a country like Ethiopia which is rich in languages, politics, cultures, and values and which experiences an exponentially growing population, media and the access to plural information is crucial for peace and development. This study finds, however, that the number of media and the diversity of ... more
"As press freedom continues a downward trend across the globe against a backdrop of rapidly changing landscape for the safety of journalists, the 10th anniversary of the UN Plan provided an opportunity to take stock of its key achievements during this first decade of implementation, as well as to id ... more

Fighting SLAPPs: What Can Media, Lawyers, and Funders Do?

Washington, DC: Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) (2022), 16 pp.
"Strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPPs, are lawsuits taken against media organizations or activists with the sole purpose of silencing them. They typically involve a huge disparity in resources and the claimant’s tactic is to use the lawsuit, or threat of a lawsuit, to divert ... more