Newsafety: Infrastructures, Practices and Consequences

Abstract

Journalism is often referred to as one of the most important knowledge-producing institutions in society, yet also one facing numerous challenges, among which the safety of journalists critical. Public visibility as a journalist, having thousands of followers on social media, was until recently aspired by many in the field. However, this may well be disadvantageous to journalists scrutinizing sensitive topics, encountering actors that do their best to outright undermine and delegitimize journalism, also in Western democracies. This article begins by introducing and discussing research and ongoing developments relating to journalism and safety. It then turns to the sociotechnical and three-dimensional concept we call Newsafety, encompassing infrastructures, practices and consequences. Moreover, the article introduces and highlight key contributions from the special issue, which features six original articles and two invited commentaries. In closing, we call for interdisciplinary research focusing especially on psychological- and digital issues related to the UNESCO research agenda on the safety of journalists.