UNESCO is the lead UN Agency for promoting freedom of expression and safety of journalists as part of its mandate to “promote the free flow of ideas by word and image”.
Danilo Araña Arao
Professor of Journalism at University of the Philippines Diliman , Phillipines
Journalism Media Impunity Human Rights Disinformation Phillipine Studies
My doctoral thesis is titled "Journalism and Culture of Impunity in the Philippines.". As an academic and practising journalist in the Philippines, I am also actively involved in the campaign to defend press freedom and to end the impunity that gives rise to various forms of harassment and intimidation of journalists, including the numerous work-related killings as documented by multiple groups like NUJP, CPJ and RSF.
Definition of journalists' safety
In the Philippines journalists' safety is a major concern as we experience various forms of harassment and intimidation, including work-related killings. Through the Philippine Plan of Action for the Safety of Journalists (where I was invited to speak at its launch in 2019), we hope to create an atmosphere conducive to the exercise of press freedom, where journalists can safely perform their jobs without fear of any reprisal.Future plans for research on journalists' safety
I plan to expand my study on journalism and the culture of impunity to include other countries based on the research model I developed and the methodology I used for my doctoral thesis.- Research focuses:
- Physical, Digital, Legal
- Methods used in research:
- Surveys, Interviews
- Countries of research focus:
- Phillipines
