Call for contributions: Join us for the WPFD #JournoSafe Flash Talks – a space for academics and civil society organisations to share research ideas to address problems of the safety of journalists

As part of the 2021 World Press Freedom Day Academic Conference on the Safety of Journalists, the Journalism Safety Research Network (JSRN)* is launching the first in a series of knowledge exchange sessions which will serve as an informal space for  representatives from civil society organisations and academic researchers to share thoughts on research ideas and current knowledge gaps related to problems of the safety of journalists.

The first event will be held as a 30 minute session on April 29 from 5.30pm – 6pm CAT as part of the WPFD Academic Conference on the Safety of Journalists. 

Participants will be invited to prepare a max. two-minute flash talk based on one of the below options:

  • A research idea/question (this can be based on ongoing research or an idea for future research) and a discussion on how this research idea addresses concrete problems related to the safety of journalists.
  • An existing knowledge gap related to issues of the safety of journalists alongside ideas for what kind of research would be needed to address said knowledge gap. 

Presentations on any matter relevant to the safety of journalists are welcome. Topics could for instance include legal and other forms of protection mechanisms, gender dimensions, online aggressions and attacks, psychological, practitioner and educational issues. For examples of more possible topics please see UNESCO’s Research agenda on the Safety of Journalists 

The deadline for submitting a proposal for a two-minute flash talk is April 25. Selected participants will be informed by April 26.

To submit a proposal please use this form.

Participants will also need to register (registration is free) for the WPFD conference (mandatory): https://en.unesco.org/feedback/world-press-freedom-conference-2021-registration

For more information please contact Silvia Chocarro, Head of Protection at ARTICLE 19 and member of the JSRN (silvia [at] article19.org) and Sara Torsner, Coordinator of the Journalism Safety Research Network (s.k.torsner [at] sheffield.ac.uk). 

*The JSRN was launched during the World Press Freedom Day celebrations in Helsinki in 2016 and is hosted by the Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM) at the University of Sheffield. With the support of UNESCO, the JSRN aims to advance academic research and multi-stakeholder collaboration in the area of journalism safety.