Reporting human rights: a study of broadcast news representations and journalist practices

This research examines the connection between human rights and journalism, and the importance that the latter has in the shaping of common understandings of human rights. Based on an analysis of the Portuguese public service television news, this study pays particular attention to the representation of human rights in the news and the production practices that determine human rights reporting. The research reveals that the financial crisis is powerfully influencing the content of the news, shifting human rights coverage to more social rights-focused reporting. Further, the financial constraints are affecting the professional practices and impeding the dislocation of correspondents to cover human rights issues abroad. This tendency, in its turn, is 1) reinforcing the manifest reliance on news agencies’ contents to cover distant human rights situations, and 2) emphasising proximity and national interest as decisive news values, generating more nation-focused human rights coverage. Consequently, this proximity to human rights problems at home is both empathetic and forced

How Journalists Navigate Experiences and Perceptions of Gendered Online Harassment

UIDB/05021/2020 UIDP/05021/2020This article examines how online abuse is experienced and tackled by journalists in Portugal, and addresses the prevalence of online harassment and violence against women journalists and their perceptions of the issue. Theoretically, the article bridges the research on online harassment and gender in journalism. Empirically, it draws on a nationwide survey of journalists combined with data from semi-structured interviews conducted with 25 women journalists to explore the gendered experiences of online abuse. Journalists feel an increasing hostility aggravated by the digital environment. Half of the surveyed professionals experienced online abuse, including sexual harassment. Journalists evidenced low trust in protection mechanisms and feelings of resignation towards online abuse, seen as intrinsic to the job. The interviews further revealed a perceived connection between gender and online abuse: women recognized the sexualized nature of online abuse, which they linked to the broader cultural context of gender inequality.publishersversionpublishe

News for nature: Communicating biodiversity importance and conservation challenges in Guinea‐Bissau, West Africa, through local media and online platforms

Guinea‐Bissau, an important regional biodiversity hotspot in West Africa, faces the challenge of raising awareness among the general public about the significance of natural resources for rural communities' survival and the need for biodiversity conservation. This knowledge gap hinders conservation efforts as initiatives are deemed irrelevant or unnecessary. A climate of political vulnerability, financial uncertainty and threats to media freedom are further obstacles to conservation biology. Researchers lack established communication platforms for academic dissemination. In this paper, we introduce the initiative News for Nature/PRIMACTION (2020–2022), which aimed to establish a communication channel between researchers and media agents. The project had two primary objectives: firstly, to raise awareness among the Guinea‐Bissau society about the importance of national biodiversity and conservation challenges; and secondly, to enhance the capacity of specific communicators and opinion makers. The project had several important outputs, including: i) a bi‐monthly newspaper section focused on “biodiversity conservation in Guinea‐Bissau”, ii) three radio‐theatre episodes performed by a well‐known group and broadcasted nationally, iii) one song composed and sung by famous musicians, with an introduction by Jane Goodall, and iv) a website providing technical resources for journalists covering biodiversity and conservation news. Collaborators mentioned the lack of logistical conditions for traveling in the country as a major impediment in reporting conservation‐related news. We emphasize the significance of establishing direct contact and articulation between researchers and local media to promote conservation research in West African countries. In countries where science communication and environmental education outreach are not well‐established, it is crucial to bridge the challenges faced by the communities in different regions of the same country. This is especially urgent in cases where such challenges are significant

Practices, policies and regulation in African journalism: mapping a research agenda

This special issue examines the intricacies of journalism practices, policies and media regulation in contemporary Africa. The studies carried in the issue collectively offer three broad contributions to (African) journalism studies. First, they demonstrate how law and regulation are used to control and, in some cases, stifle the practice of journalism. Second, studies examine the challenges presented by new digital technologies to both the practice of journalism as well as the law and regulation by which it is governed. In particular, the studies highlight how digital technologies blur the definition of journalism, how they provide an opportunity for journalists to overcome state censorship and surveillance, and also how online platforms can offer an arena for nationalistic discourses, divisions and hate. Finally, the special issue bolsters the relevance of investigating media practices and regulation policy for radio broadcasting in Africa, while also signalling the prospering significance of empirical research into new media and their relationship with law and policy

Journalists are prepared for critical situations … but we are not prepared for this: empirical and structural dimensions of gendered online harassment

This article discusses online harassment against women journalistsexploring self-reported incidents, effects, and trust in safetymechanisms. Drawing on twenty-five semi-structured interviewsof women journalists in Portugal, we use a feminist and criticalrealist framework to explore the causal structures and generativemechanisms that explain their vulnerability to online abuse. Weidentify three overarching themes: increasing visibility in acontext of higher hostility towards journalism and insufficientsafety mechanisms; intersectional gender inequality and culturalmores that foster it; and (individual) responses to harassment.These themes show that women journalists’actions are bothconstrained and enabled by existing structures and culturalattitudes. While they tend to deny harassment is caused by theirgender, seeing it mainly because of their job, they admit thesexualised and gendered nature of the insults, seeing this as anadded offence not experienced by their male counterparts. Theyalso see harassment as a continuation of inequality and prevailingsexism andfind the protection mechanisms insufficient andineffective. As a result, they assume an extra burden of emotionallabour to deal with online bullying, admitting self-censoring andthe need to develop resilience strategies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

It’s normal unless it turns into physical aggression: a study of Portuguese Journalists’ perceptions of (gendered) online harassment

In January 2021, while the country’s daily Covid-19 numbers were hitting record highs, Portugal headed to the polls to elect its future head of state. The campaign was marked by the actions and words of a new far-right party (Chega), which held a campaign characterised by violent incidents with journalists. Later in the year, local elections provided new opportunities for these political actors to confront journalists and make female journalists their preferential targets. The attacks were not just face-to-face but also on social media, in reiterated hate speech messages and direct threats, particularly against female journalists (CCPJ 2021). What made these events significant is that hate speech and online harassment became more visible for both the public and journalists themselves. Having a presence online is expected if not required from journalists today. While digital networking helps establish connections and reach a wider community, it also exposes media professionals to abuse. The dangers of hate speech in journalism are well known and hate speech presents a major challenge to today's journalists (Holton, 2021), as it became their “new normal” (Waisbord, 2020). Women in particular are preferential targets of trolls (Nadim e Fladmoe, 2019; Edström, 2016; UNESCO, 2021; Chen et al, 2020; Adams, 2018). Under different names, such as cyber gender harassment (Citron, 2011) or gendertrolling (Mantilla, 2013), the consequences of gender-based online hate speech hate are not only to female journalists’ mental health and psychological wellbeing but also on public life, as it may have a “chilling effect” in limiting the types of stories and topics that are covered (Townend, 2017; UNESCO, 2021). With few exceptions (Simões, 2021; Silva, 2021), little is known about online violence against Portuguese journalists. This research examines how online abuse is experienced and tackled by Portuguese journalists by measuring self-reported incidents, effects, and trust in existing safety mechanisms. Further, we specifically address the prevalence of online harassment and violence against women journalists and their perceptions of the issue. Theoretically, the article bridges the research on online harassment, mob censorship and gender in journalism. Empirically, it draws on a nationwide survey of journalists and, to explore in more detail the meanings of its quantitative data and the gender aspects of experience. Findings are combined with data from semi-structured interviews conducted with women journalists from diverse media and fields. Professionals feel an increasing hostility aggravated by the digital environment. Half of the surveyed journalists have experienced online violence to some degree, including sexual harassment. Journalists further evidenced low levels of trust in protection mechanisms or a lack of awareness of them. Findings also suggest feelings of resignation towards online abuse, seen as intrinsic to the job, demonstrating a sense of understatement of the attacks. The paper argues that these sentiments contribute to a normalisation of online violence and highlights the need to discuss online abuse within the profession.N/