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?

Countless journalists have been arbitrarily arrested, kidnapped or have disappeared in the fog of the protracted war tearing the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo apart. The renewed M23 offensive augurs a more uncertain future for these ‘soldiers of the pen’.

For more than a decade of the Syrian revolution, the former regime has employed various forms of intimidation against journalists—killing, interrogations, and forced displacement—all for a single purpose: silencing their voices. Mawadda Bahah hid behind pseudonyms and shifted her focus to environmental issues after a "brief session" at the Kafar Soussa branch of Syria’s intelligence agency.

Between the barricades of the conflicting parties, sometimes displaced, and sometimes hiding from bullets, journalist Iman Kamal El-Din lived the experience of armed conflict in Sudan and conveyed to Al-Sahafa magazine the concerns and challenges of field coverage in a time of deception and targeting of journalists.

Sports photojournalists in Cameroon face growing challenges, from the rise of mobile photography and content creators to financial struggles, piracy, and a widespread expectation for free images. Despite these obstacles, professionals emphasise the need for innovation, investment in training, and greater respect for their craft to ensure the survival of photojournalism in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Every day here is a turning point; every moment, every step outside the house could mean returning safely—or not. A journalist may be injured or arrested at any time.” This statement by journalist Khaled Bdeir succinctly captures the harsh reality of practicing journalism in the West Bank, particularly after October 7.

How did the war in Sudan push dozens of journalists to change their professions in search of a decent life? In this article, colleague Muhammad Shaarawi recounts the journey of journalists who were forced by war conditions to work in agriculture, selling vegetables, and other professions.

Israel has launched a digital war against Palestinians by flooding social media with fake accounts designed to spread disinformation, distort narratives, and demonize Palestinian resistance. These accounts, often impersonating Arabs and mimicking regional dialects, aim to create fake public opinion, promote division among Arab nations, and advance the Israeli agenda in the digital space.

With a phone camera, Abboud Battah appears every day from northern Gaza, documenting the crimes of the occupation in a language that is not devoid of spontaneity that led to his being arrested. When the Israeli occupation closed Gaza to the international press, killed journalists, and targeted their headquarters, the voice of the citizen journalist remained a witness to the killing and genocidal war.

Do ethical and professional standards allow for interviewing survivors while they are in a state of trauma? How should a journalist approach victims, away from sensationalism and the pursuit of exclusivity at the expense of their dignity and right to remain silent?

Public media in Latin America, such as Brazil's EBC and Argentina's Télam, are being undermined through militarisation and dismantlement, threatening their role as public institutions. These actions jeopardise media independence and weaken their ability to serve the public interest, posing a serious risk to democracy.

Independent Syrian journalism played a pivotal role in exposing regime corruption and documenting war crimes during the 13-year revolution, despite immense risks to journalists, including imprisonment, assassination, and exile. Operating from abroad, these journalists pioneered investigative and open-source reporting, preserving evidence, and shaping narratives that challenged the Assad regime's propaganda.

Caught between enraged protesters and aggressive police officers, journalists risked their lives to keep the world informed about the Gen–Z protests in Kenya. However, these demonstrations also exposed deeper issues regarding press freedom, highlighting a troubling aspect of Ruto’s government.

An account of a female Afghan journalist who persisted in her work in spite of the Taliban's comeback, using her writing to expose the harsh realities of oppression and promote women's rights. In defiance of the Taliban government's prohibitions on female education, she oversaw underground schools for girls and reported under a pseudonym while constantly fearing for her safety.

Over the centuries, true crime narratives have migrated across mediums—from tabloids and books to documentaries, films, and, most recently, podcasts. Despite these evolutions, one constant endures: the storytellers’ drive to detail the darkest corners of human behaviour and the insatiable curiosity of their audiences.

Since the revocation of Article 370 in 2019, press freedom in Indian-administered Kashmir has sharply declined, with local journalists facing harassment, surveillance, and charges under anti-terror laws, while foreign correspondents are denied access or deported for critical reporting. These measures, aimed at controlling the region’s narrative and projecting normalcy, have drawn widespread criticism from international watchdogs, who warn of increasing suppression of both domestic and foreign media.

Gender inequality persists in sports journalism, with female reporters significantly under-represented, as shown by studies revealing that only 5.1% of sports articles are written by women. Advocates call for equal representation, more inclusive hiring practices, and a broader focus on women's sports to challenge stereotypes, improve coverage, and give women a stronger voice in shaping sports narratives.

Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill calls for a revival of "adversarial journalism" to reinstate crucial professional and humanitarian values in mainstream Western media, especially regarding the coverage of the Gaza genocide.

On this page, the editorial team of the Al Jazeera Journalism Review will collect news published by media institutions about the current war on Gaza that involves disinformation, bias, or professional journalistic standards and its code of ethics.

Major Western media outlets continue to prove that they are a party in the war of narratives, siding with the Israeli occupation. The article explains how these major Western media outlets are still refining their techniques of bias in favor of the occupation, even a year after the genocide in Palestine.

The Sabra and Shatila massacre in 1982 saw over 3,000 unarmed Palestinian refugees brutally killed by Phalangist militias under the facilitation of Israeli forces. As the first journalist to enter the camps, Japanese journalist Ryuichi Hirokawa provides a harrowing first-hand account of the atrocity amid a media blackout. His testimony highlights the power of bearing witness to a war crime and contrasts the past Israeli public outcry with today’s silence over the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Being a journalist, particularly a female journalist covering the genocide in Palestine without any form of protection, makes practicing journalism nearly impossible. When the journalist is also a mother haunted by the fear of losing her children, working in the field becomes an immense sacrifice.

The use of anonymous sources in journalism is considered, within professional and ethical standards, a “last option” for journalists. However, analysis of New York Times data reveals a persistent pattern in the use of “anonymity” to support specific narratives, especially Israeli narratives.

While the EU’s red card to Cameroon has undeniably tarnished its image, it has paradoxically unlocked the potential of Cameroonian journalists and ignited a movement poised to reshape the future. Through this shared struggle, journalists, scientists, conservationists, storytellers, and government officials have united, paving the way for a new era of ocean advocacy.