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”.
Glenda Daniels
Associate Professor at University of the Witwatersrand , South Africa
My research deals with issues of media freedom, freedom of expression and in particular the bullying and online trolling of women journalists in South Africa, and on the rest of the African continent. I have been working in this area for over 10 years now. My sole authored books: Fight for Democracy: the ANC and the Media in South Africa (2012); Power and Loss in South African journalism: news in the age of social media (2020) and co-edited book: Women Journalists in South Africa: democracy in the age of social media (2022) as well as these two publications: State of the Newsroom, South Africa: Traumatic Transitions, 2013, and State of the Newsroom, South Africa 2014: Disruptions Accelerated all discuss and document these issues from both theoretical and advocacy angles.
Definition of journalists' safety
I define journalists' safety as the ability and freedom for journalists to do their work without state, government, publics, social media bullying and patriarchal hindrances.Future plans for research on journalists' safety
My research on cybermisogyny (see my book Women Journalists in South Africa: democracy in the age of social media) or the hatred and trolling expressed on social media in particular on twitter continues. I am in discussions with many NGOs, including my own community service advocacy organisation, the South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) on how to combat this scourge. How do we raise more awareness, what research and interventions need to urgently happen, how do tackle the big tech groups on their lack of accountability? How do we stop the vile and sexist attacks on women journalists in the social media space.- Research focuses:
- Digital, Physical, Psychological, Legal
- Methods used in research:
- Interviews, Surveys, Qualitative content analysis, Ethnography
- Countries of research focus:
- South Africa