Al Jazeera Journalism Review
Safety Strategies Female Journalists Use in Hostile Environments
Female journalists across Africa face layered physical, gender-based, digital, and psychological risks while covering protests, elections, conflict, and crises, forcing them to rely on hard-earned survival strategies as much as newsroom support.
Latest Articles
Western Media Bias and Complicity with Israel is Beyond Borders
Once again, Western media framed civilians within the context of "collateral damage" while covering Israeli attacks on Syria. The language of international law was absent, and the tragedy of civilians affected by military strikes was completely obscured, while justifications and cover for the occupation prevailed under the banner of "maintaining national security."
Systematic Bias: How Western Media Framed the March 18 Massacre of Palestinians
On March 18, Israel launched a large-scale assault on Gaza, killing over 412 Palestinians and injuring more than 500, while Western media uncritically echoed Israel’s claim of “targeting Hamas.” Rather than exposing the massacre, coverage downplayed the death toll, delayed key facts, and framed the attacks as justified pressure on Hamas—further highlighting the double standard in valuing Palestinian lives.
Rise and Fall of Kashmir’s First Independent Magazine, Kashmir Walla
Jailed, silenced, and erased—how a fearless journalist built Kashmir’s most vital independent news platform, only to see it brutally shut down by the state. The Kashmir Walla, known for its bold coverage of politics, conflict, and human rights, became too powerful to ignore—so they ensured it disappeared.
Misinformation in Syria: Natural Chaos or Organised Campaign?
Old videos inciting “sectarian strife,” statements taken out of context attacking Christians, scenes of heavy weaponry clashes in other countries, fabricated stories of fictitious detainees, and a huge amount of fake news that accompanied the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime: Is it the natural chaos of transition or a systematic campaign?
Trump and the Closure of USAID: A Candid Conversation on "Independent Media"
The impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to halt foreign funding through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on Arab media platforms has largely gone undiscussed. Some of these platforms have consistently labelled themselves as "independent" despite being Western-funded. This article examines the reasons behind the failure of economic models for Western-funded institutions in the Arab world and explores the extent of their editorial independence.
The Sharp Contrast: How Israeli and Western Media Cover the War on Gaza
Despite being directly governed by Israeli policies, some Israeli media outlets critically report on their government’s actions and use accurate terminology, whereas Western media has shown complete bias, failing to be impartial in its coverage of Israel’s aggression in Gaza.
Opinion
Anam Hussain
US-Iran Islamabad Talks: How Journalists Report from Outside Closed Doors
The "Islamabad Talks" highlight a growing contradiction in modern diplomacy where journalists are physically present but denied direct access to negotiations. The pressure on transparency appears…
Bashar Hamdan
Can Artificial Intelligence Become a Documentary Film Director?
AI opens new possibilities in documentary filmmaking, from sorting archives to speeding up production. But documentary is not built on technology alone: it depends on the director’s vision,…
Derick Matsengarwodzi
When Speaking Up Backfires: How Social Conformity Silences Journalists
While state censorship remains a reality, freedom of speech in Africa faces a rising internal threat: the community itself. This article examines how social conformity, digital echo chambers, and…
Diaries
Journalism in Gaza: A Struggle for Survival
In Gaza, journalism becomes inseparable from the life it documents: reporting continues not from a distance, but from within the same fear, grief, and instability it tries to record.
Journalism in Gaza… A Race Against the Train of Genocide
In the following account, Amira Nassar presents a narrative filled with intricate detail, intimate exchanges, and an unyielding struggle over the meaning of writing amid slaughter and starvation. Part of The Journalism Review’s documentary project recording the testimonies of journalists in Palestine and the Gaza Strip during the ongoing genocide, it stands as a testament against oblivion and the machinery of extermination.
From News Reporting to Documentation: Practical Lessons from Covering the War on Gaza
From the very first moment of the genocidal war waged by Israel on Gaza, Al Jazeera correspondent Hisham Zaqout has been a witness to hunger, devastation, war crimes, and the assassination of his colleagues in the field. It is a battle for survival and documentation, one that goes beyond mere coverage and daily reporting.
Reports
Safety Strategies Female Journalists Use in Hostile Environments
Female journalists across Africa face layered physical, gender-based, digital, and psychological risks while covering protests, elections, conflict, and crises, forcing them to rely on hard-earned survival strategies as much as newsroom support.
The Afterlife of an Image: How Photojournalism Contests Shape Visibility and Responsibility
As photojournalism contests elevate certain images to global prominence, they also influence how violence, dignity, and memory are constructed in the public imagination.
Malawi Investigates Poor Pay and Working Conditions for Junior Journalists
Malawi’s investigation into poor pay for junior journalists exposes a deeper crisis where economic hardship is eroding media independence and forcing reporters to choose between ethical integrity and survival.
Journalism as a Struggle for Survival in Sudan
With war erupting in Sudan, the country’s media landscape collapsed almost overnight after the Rapid Support Forces entered Khartoum. Many journalists were left without jobs, salaries or shelter, scattered between displacement, exile and siege, as newspapers shut down and media institutions ceased to function. For many, journalism was no longer a profession but a daily struggle for survival.
From Print to Pixels: How Small-Town Journalists in Bihar Are Surviving Threats and Closures
As newspapers vanish across districts like Siwan, Gaya, and Purnea, reporters turn to mobile phones, digital start-ups and community networks to keep local journalism alive.
Arab Society and Investigative Journalism: The Dialectic of Culture, Power, and Profession
Investigative journalism in Arab societies operates within a dense web of social, political, and cultural pressures that often push journalists to balance truth-telling against survival, forcing them onto a precarious “razor’s edge.” Yet despite these constraints, moments of crisis can transform society itself from a source of pressure into a powerful ally, driving accountability and reigniting the pursuit of truth.
