On 25 May, the Wits Centre for Journalism hosted Dr Richard Stupart for a webinar discussing a new report about journalism in authoritarian contexts.
Stupart, a British Academy Research Fellow at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and lecturer at the University of Liverpool, presented the findings from a closed-door roundtable in which 17 journalists from seven African countries facing severe press freedom challenges reflected on and compared their experiences.
The findings included insights into:
• The nature of the threats faced by journalists working in authoritarian contexts
• How pressures on journalism generally translate into different experiences for editors and field reporters
• The emotional and psychological well-being of journalists
• Coping strategies in the face of hostile states and other opposition to watchdog reporting
While many of the themes developed in the roundtable conversation were familiar to scholars of journalism under authoritarian conditions, the webinar focused on some of the novel and unexpected insights that came out of the session.
Stupart also discussed tactics journalists can use when operating in restrictive and authoritarian contexts, including fostering relationships with military and police, streaming coverage live, as well as tactics for independent journalists with no newsroom backing.
Watch the webinar in full below.