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
"This study investigated the knowledge and practice of safety protocols among journalists serving as frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19 in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was adopted. Structured questionnaire served as instrument for data collection. The popula ... more

Working Under the “Sword of Damocles”: Experiences of Journalists in a Hybrid Regime

In: Masks of Authoritarianism
Arild Engelsen Ruud; Mubashar Hasan (eds.)
Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan (2022), pp. 37-55
"In the past decade, Bangladesh has witnessed severe erosion of democratic practices and weakening of democratic institutions. Incumbent has demonstrated its penchant for executive aggrandizement. These have transformed Bangladesh into a hybrid regime, which is marked with various characteristics in ... more
"This study is aimed at investigating the impact of security threats on the freedom of expression of Pakistani Television (TV) journalists. It has been observed that a growing trend of curtailment of freedom of expression is becoming new normal in the country. One of the significant problems related ... more

A battle of two pandemics: Coronavirus and digital authoritarianism in the Arab World

In: Cyber War & Cyber Peace: Digital Conflict in the Middle East
Eliza Campbell; Michael Sexton (eds.)
London; New York: Tauris (2022), pp. 161-178
"This chapter explores the current wave of coronavirus-related digital crackdowns in the Arab region, which are unfolding in multiple forms, and analyzes its causes, contexts, and consequences. It explores why and how the stifling of media freedom and freedom of speech online in the Arab region has ... more
"The present study is an attempt to examine how objective structural political forces and subjective perception of political influences determine journalists' autonomy and safety. The evidence is based on responses representing journalists from 65 countries, which adds to the cross-cultural robustne ... more

The murder of Gerry Ortega: Justice delayed, justice denied

Free Press Unlimited;Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ);Reporters Without Borders (2022), 30 pp.
"The murder of Gerry Ortega is indicative of structural problems concerning the safety of journalists in the Philippines; while the hitmen are often arrested, the powerful masterminds behind the killings of journalists often evade justice. Gerry Ortega was a prominent broadcast journalist and enviro ... more
"This research was conducted through a survey (involving 1,256 respondents) and interviews (six informants) of female journalists in 191 cities, representing western, central, and eastern parts of Indonesia. This survey included 25 questions about the respondents’ violence experiences related to t ... more
"As the journalism industry faces increasing risk and insecurity in the digital environment, there is still much to know about how journalists are reacting to and internalizing online harassment, and what the consequences are for their routines. Approaching the problem from a socio-technical perspec ... more
"Geo-strategically, Pakistan is placed in the region that has been frayed by wars conflict since the USSR’s (1979) invasion of Afghanistan. Since, Pakistan is sharing one of the longest borders with Afghanistan, hence could not remain impervious. The region, specially, Pakistan had not yet fully r ... more
"The war in and against Ukraine has brought home the importance of accurate, trustworthy reporting — even from dangerous places. In mediation, particularly mediation arising from armed conflict, it is difficult to overstate the importance of accurate information to help mediate between claim and c ... more
"The recent barbaric murder of an investigative journalist in Malta who was looking into corruption at the top echelons of power sparked off a civil society movement, Repubblika, spurring ordinary citizens into participating in collective protest action. The movement also incorporated a loose groupi ... more
"At a time of growing threats to the press worldwide, including in supposedly ‘safe’ developed democracies, this article explores the nature of harassment perpetrated by strangers, one-time sources, and viewers against women broadcast journalists working at US local television stations. The stud ... more
"Journalists play an important role in promoting and facilitating the right to freedom of expression. To promote and facilitate freedom of expression effectively, they should be free to perform their duties without fear of reprisals, intimidation or harassment. Journalists should carry out their dut ... more
"Along the first lockdown of the world because of covid 19 pandemic, the professional media regained their monopoly of reliable information linked to the health crisis of all kinds: political, social and economic thanks to the journalism of quality. Journalists were on the front lines to ensure the ... more

Journalism and Mental Health: Ugandan Journalists’ Perspectives

In: COVID-19 and the Media in Sub-Saharan Africa: Media Viability, Framing and Health Communication
Carol Azungi Dralega; Angella Napakol (eds.)
Leeds: Emerald Publishing (2022), pp. 147-162
"In the midst of a public health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, journalists play an important role of sharing information of consequence with the public. As first responders to precarious events, they work in close proximity to the threat they are reporting on yet at the same time struggle with ... more
"Human rights, the rule of law and democracy are interlinked and mutually reinforcing. Within the framework of international human rights law, the right to freedom of expression particularly stands out, as it constitutes a pre-requisite for the fulfilment of other fundamental rights. In this regard, ... more
"This study examined the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of digital safety among journalists in Kano State. It aimed at examining the awareness of digital safety and threats and also the mechanisms used by Kano state online journalists to respond to such threats. The study adopted the Protect ... more
"Mob censorship, which “expresses the will of ordinary citizens to exert power over journalists through discursive violence” is traditionally considered a grassroots phenomenon. However, within technically mediated systems, who is behind the mob is sometimes unclear. We therefore ask how the tec ... more
"The Philippine media presented itself as the vanguard of the Filipino people’s basic freedoms, especially the freedom of speech and expression. However, as with any responsibility that pertains to that freedom, the news media had its laws that may result in persecution. This study was aimed at in ... more
"This study sought to examine work-related exposure to trauma and predictors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms among regional journalists in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, a conflict-ridden area in northwest Pakistan. We recruited 216 KP journalists. Analysis of the surveys re ... more