ABSTRACT This paper examines the subtle but constant forms of harassment of journalists in the Republic of Moldova and the impact on editorial autonomy, psychological well-being and the media environment in general. Using survey data from the Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS3, 2022–2023; N = 305), the data shows that verbal attacks, reputational damage and online harassment are widespread, with almost fifty per cent of respondents reporting a fear of surveillance. Even if visible acts of violence are only recorded to a small extent, the totality of persistent, minor harassment leads to self-censorship and psychological anxiety. Moreover, correlational analyses suggest that one form of intimidation does not usually occur as a single package: journalists who are attacked regularly face multiple, mutually supportive forms of pressure, indicating the need for a holistic security system. Even when attitudes towards editorial freedom remain extreme, inadequate institutional protections and a sense of impunity among perpetrators contribute to increasing professional insecurity. In comparison, Moldova appears to score relatively better on physical and psychological security than on virtual and economic safeguards; online harassment and professional insecurity related to finances are cited as the main sources of pressure.

ABSTRACT Guided by the information integration theory, this paper uses the case of “Northern Myanmar Investigation,” a series of short video investigative journalism, to conduct a content analysis on 194 news items from the perspectives of information sources, journalist roles, and news frames. Variance analysis and semi-structured interviews are used to compare audience interactions with different types of news and to explore how audiences integrate and evaluate news information. The study shows that audiences are more engaged by receiving information from a range of sources, including victim interviews, undercover investigations, and journalists’ narratives. Audiences also engage with journalists working as collectors or educators, and news frames that focus on attribution of responsibility or human interest. Most audience members primarily consider information sources as critical indicators of the importance and reliability of short video investigative journalism, rather than journalist roles or news frames. The findings suggest that short videos are suitable for investigative journalism and can cover news events relatively comprehensively, even though they consist of multiple short segments. We find it is therefore feasible to use short video platforms to publish and disseminate works of investigative journalism.

ABSTRACT AI and algorithms play a crucial role in the processes of gathering, filtering and sharing news. But scholars have focused primarily on the use of such tools in big western media organizations, leaving outlets in developing countries under-researched. This paper aims to redress the balance by examining the use of Generative AI tools in Egyptian newsrooms on three levels: narrative, practice and technological infrastructure, including wider technological and organizational factors that facilitate or hinder innovation adoption. In doing so, the paper employs diffusion of innovation and institutional logics as conceptual frameworks and adopts 26 in-depth interviews with journalists, chief editors, developers and media experts at four newsrooms in Egypt. Findings demonstrated how news innovation becomes a priority when it not only aligns with the newsroom's external marketing strategy as an early adopter of smart tech, but also when it proves to be financially viable with low tech-related costs, and has the potential to increase profitability. Individual journalists are burdened with the responsibility of self-learning about news technology, including GenAI tools. This added workload makes them less inclined to significantly transform their daily work routines, leading to more resistance to adopting change or innovation.

ABSTRACT Since it was founded in Jordan in 2005, the nonprofit Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) organization has contributed to advancing the field of investigative journalism in the Arab region. This case study examines ARIJ's role in offering guidance and support to Arab investigative journalists. The paper analyzes ARIJ's efforts to foster an investigative journalism environment and how it balances freedom of speech with social responsibility. This study uses a mixed-method approach: Firstly, a historical overview of ARIJ's establishment and evolution is presented, emphasizing the development of its activities and projects. Secondly, ARIJ's support to investigative reporters is examined by categorizing the types of workshops they offer and comparing the themes addressed in its annual forums (2008–2023). Next, a content analysis of the 46 “ARIJ Impact” news stories examines the tangible impacts of ARIJ-supported investigative reports. The research also relies on interviews conducted with two members of the ARIJ team and two experts in the field. This research offers insight into the role ARIJ has played in empowering Arab investigative journalists and the impact this has had in relation to social responsibility theory.

ABSTRACT This study examines how U.S. sports journalists perceive and articulate their professional roles amid the emerging discourse and experimental integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in newsroom practices. Drawing on role theory and the concept of boundary work, the study analyzes in-depth interviews with 43 sports journalists employed across print, broadcast, and digital platforms. While industry narratives frame AI as a means of increasing newsroom efficiency, participants expressed deep skepticism about its use in sports reporting, particularly when automation encroaches on interpretive, relational, and ethical dimensions of journalistic labor. Journalists emphasized the distinctiveness of human-authored storytelling, audience trust, and narrative judgment—qualities they argue are incompatible with algorithmic production. The findings reveal that sports journalists are not passively responding to technological change; rather, they are actively reaffirming their epistemic authority and drawing professional boundaries to defend against the deskilling and depersonalization of their work. This research contributes to growing scholarship on AI and journalism by offering a grounded analysis of how journalists in a historically marginalized beat navigate automation and assert their relevance in a shifting media environment.

ABSTRACT The global news media landscape is undergoing an unprecedented transformation in the ever-evolving digital age. Central to this change is the development and the adoption of automated journalistic tools in the media and journalism industry. The existing studies, mostly from the Western perspectives, suggest journalism industry is in a crucial stage, yet to entirely appreciate and respond to the potentials and possible perils of automation in journalism. Also, both journalism and technology are not merely technical, but rather social, and cultural aspects. Hence, perception about and reaction to them are also socially and culturally contingent. Since a greater number of studies are being carried-out in the Western and economically developed nations, evaluation from developing and lower-scale economic countries are still unheeded. Particularly, there is a lack of scholarly research about the attitudes of Middle Eastern journalists to a new kind of news environment driven by automation. Drawing on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), thus this study aims to explore the Egyptian journalists’ perceptions towards the acceptance of automated journalism. It utilizes in-depth interviews and deductive thematic analysis to gauge if automation is accepted by the Egyptian journalists to carry-out their routine work.

ABSTRACT As COVID-19 advanced, communities worldwide imposed quarantines. In Michigan, a former journalist created the Facebook Group “Saginaw during the Coronavirus.” The microsite provided a rich digital field site for dense ethnographic study. Data included interviews with the administrator and 18 group members; examination of group rules; and content analysis of posts. The site’s Group function allowed its administrator to serve as a working editor, both hosting content created by members and frequently crafting fresh content, aggregating news stories, and writing explanatory statistical posts. His behavior and his verbiage affirmed the adage “once a journalist, always a journalist,” paycheck notwithstanding, and his reputation for accuracy carried over from his news days, even among people who knew him only by name recognition. Findings explore how social media combated isolation, the ways that communicators unwittingly employed a crisis communication model on the site, and how professional identity transcended journalistic employment.

ABSTRACT Exploring how people find, access, and navigate digital security knowledge allows us to better understand the discrepancies between beliefs and practices. As a result, interventions to allow individuals to navigate online interactions safely can be developed. This article focuses on the context of journalism, which faces particularly acute concerns of personal safety and security relative to other professions. Using semi-structured interviews, this article uses an open and inductive approach to explore the beliefs underpinning journalists’ understanding of and engagement with digital security practices in reporting contexts. Ultimately, this article argues that a security mindset is a natural extension of newswork even if it is not reflected by sophisticated digital security knowledge or practices among journalists.

ABSTRACT The 2015 Umpqua Community College shooting serves as a case study to investigate how local journalists interpret their role conceptions and ethical duties when covering school shootings, and how these considerations influence coverage of the victims and shooters. The study is guided by the fundamental question: what do journalists owe the public when these tragedies occur? To interrogate how journalists should cover these tragedies and best serve the public’s need to know the study is grounded in feminist care ethics. Qualitative interview data from local journalists was triangulated with a framing analysis of local news stories on the shooting to examine how role conceptions relate to content. Moreover, a comparative content analysis between the local news outlet, The Roseburg News-Review and The New York Times was conducted to more closely examine the influence of proximity to the affected community on framing decisions. Findings indicate discrepancies between journalists’ stated role conceptions and content decisions with regards to use of the shooter’s name and photo. Proximity to the affected community served as an influencing factor upon framing decisions particularly with regards to treatment of the shooter, and reference to the topics of politics and gun control.

ABSTRACT Online harassment, is a real problem in daily life with offline effects. While harassment is not a new phenomenon in journalism, it continues to increase in intensity every day and is predominantly digital. Today, online harassment, especially against female journalists, has become a global threat to press freedom. This study, which adopts a qualitative research method, aims to analyze the online harassment experiences of 25 female journalists through in-depth interviews. According to the findings of the research, online harassment negatively affects Turkish female journalists. Female journalists face difficulties in both their professional and social lives. Due to online harassment, female journalists feel anxious when choosing news topics and sometimes practice self-censorship. Furthermore, female journalists receive threats of assault, rape, and death, and sometimes these threats extend to family members. This causes female journalists to feel fear and anxiety in their daily routines. Moreover, the normalization of online harassment by some female journalists may bring with it a risk factor that reduces awareness of online harassment.