ISSUE

Summer 2022

Reporting at Risk

From Kashmir to Russia to Mexico and beyond, journalism is under threat. Reporters Without Borders estimates that nearly three-quarters of the 180 countries on its World Press Freedom Index either completely or partially block the work of newsrooms. The threats to journalists are physical, political and, especially under authoritarian regimes, increasingly existential. In our Reporting at Risk series,

Nieman Reports is publishing essays by journalists who are managing to do vital independent reporting — often at great personal risk.

Articles

Making the Biggest Investigative Journalism Project in History Accessible to the Audience

Niemans @ Work

Making the Biggest Investigative Journalism Project in History Accessible to the Audience

Reuben Fischer-Baum, NF ’22, on his ‘slice’ of the Pandora Papers I’m a graphics editor at The Washington Post, which means that I lead a team that creates visuals like…

Reuben Fischer-Baum

August 16, 2022

Creating “Comadres al Aire:” A Podcast That Talks To Immigrants, Not About Them

Niemans @ Work

Creating “Comadres al Aire:” A Podcast That Talks To Immigrants, Not About Them

Valeria Fernandez, a 2021 visiting fellow, on building a village at a time when the world feels scary and distant We were barely starting the first season of our Spanish-language…

Valeria Fernandez

August 10, 2022

How Latin American Journalists Are Using Collaborations To Get Around Censorship Laws

Reporting at Risk

How Latin American Journalists Are Using Collaborations To Get Around Censorship Laws

Silence is not an option

Carlos Eduardo Huertas

In Ghana, Only a Handful of Journalists Are Able To Do Critical Reporting

Reporting at Risk

In Ghana, Only a Handful of Journalists Are Able To Do Critical Reporting

On paper, Ghana is a thriving democracy. On the ground, journalists do not have the freedom to do their work

Emmanuel K. Dogbevi

A New Kind of Partnership: Journalists and Civil Society Organizations Are Teaming Up

Features

A New Kind of Partnership: Journalists and Civil Society Organizations Are Teaming Up

The practice upends the industry’s drive for neutrality. But cross-field collaborations are becoming more commonplace to help bolster investigative work

What About the Boys? The Sex Trafficking of Young Males

Niemans @ Work

What About the Boys? The Sex Trafficking of Young Males

Jenifer McKim, NF ’08, and Phillip Martin, NF ’98, detail their groundbreaking series, ‘Unseen’ We have reported on the dangerous and troubling world of sex trafficking for nearly two decades,…

The Myanmar Junta’s Wanton Violence Is Forcing Journalists to Flee

Reporting at Risk

The Myanmar Junta’s Wanton Violence Is Forcing Journalists to Flee

Exiled reporters are finding it difficult to reach sources back home, who are increasingly afraid to talk

What It's Like Working in the Deadliest Country in the World for Journalists

Reporting at Risk

What It’s Like Working in the Deadliest Country in the World for Journalists

In Mexico, journalists are trapped between physical threats and political disputes

Confronting “Press Freedom Predators”

From the Curator

Confronting “Press Freedom Predators”

Newsrooms are running a gauntlet of abuse around the world. But the threat is greater than against journalism alone — it’s against democracy itself

Ann Marie Lipinski

With Dom, We All Died a Little Bit

Reporting at Risk

With Dom, We All Died a Little Bit

The murder of a veteran journalist covering the vulnerable in the Amazon has reverberated among reporters in Brazil

“We Should Side with Democracy:” Why the War in Ukraine is Existential for Baltic Journalists

Reporting at Risk

“We Should Side with Democracy:” Why the War in Ukraine is Existential for Baltic Journalists

Thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Baltic states’ independent media reckon with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Karolis Vyšniauskas

Tunisian Journalists Face Police Intimidation and Jail Time for Doing Our Jobs

Reporting at Risk

Tunisian Journalists Face Police Intimidation and Jail Time for Doing Our Jobs

As President Kais Saied consolidates his grip on power, Tunisia — and its media — are sliding backward from hard-won democratic gains

Channeling a Childhood Passion into a Journalism Career

Sounding

Channeling a Childhood Passion into a Journalism Career

How drawing maps — and a pitstop in urban planning — ultimately led to working on data visualization projects

Reuben Fischer-Baum

In the Philippines, Will Marcos Give the Media Hell Like Duterte Did?

Reporting at Risk

In the Philippines, Will Marcos Give the Media Hell Like Duterte Did?

The rise of hyper-partisan influencers has made it easier for those seeking power to control the flow of information

Glenda M. Gloria

In Turkey, Erdoğan’s Crackdown on the Free Press Intensifies

Reporting at Risk

In Turkey, Erdoğan’s Crackdown on the Free Press Intensifies

As the country prepares for next year’s elections, the government is making it even harder for independent journalists

American Democracy is Under Threat — and Newsrooms Are Mobilizing to Cover It

Features Threats to U.S. Democracy

American Democracy is Under Threat — and Newsrooms Are Mobilizing to Cover It

Reporters need to focus on local election agencies and move beyond horse race political coverage

Celeste Katz Marston

I witnessed Orbán crack down on Hungary's free press. Here’s my advice to journalists facing similar threats

Reporting at Risk

I witnessed Orbán crack down on Hungary’s free press. Here’s my advice to journalists facing similar threats

When you come under attack as a journalist, don’t make yourself the center of the story

Judges, Too, Can Be Enemies of the Press

Reporting at Risk

Judges, Too, Can Be Enemies of the Press

In Malaysia, news organizations can find themselves on the losing end of expensive lawsuits

Piercing Putin’s Truth Blockade

Reporting at Risk

Piercing Putin’s Truth Blockade

A handful of courageous Russian journalists are fighting on the frontline of an information war. It is a battle that affects us all

Companies Rely On Journalism To Not Cover Tech. Here’s How To

Live @ Lippmann

Companies Rely On Journalism To Not Cover Tech. Here’s How To

“Security guru” Bruce Schneier on good data hygiene for journalists, how newsrooms can protect their staff from cyberattacks, and more

Why Newsrooms Are Collaborating to Take on Ambitious Reporting Projects

Features

Why Newsrooms Are Collaborating to Take on Ambitious Reporting Projects

By working together, news organizations can expand both their resources and reach

Stefanie Murray

In Mexico, A Mix of Violence and Economics Threatens Local News Organizations

Reporting at Risk

In Mexico, A Mix of Violence and Economics Threatens Local News Organizations

Newspapers once had the financial strength to resist pressure from politicians looking for favorable coverage. That independence is in danger

Javier Garza Ramos

Features

In Today’s Journalism Job Market, Having Your Own Brand Is Key To Survival

Name recognition and an extensive following give journalists leverage in an industry that tends to reward a predominantly white, male few