Journalists’ Safety and Multifaceted Censorship in Colombia: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Safety of journalists has been studied as part of freedom of expression. However, there is scarce qualitative research on Colombian regional journalists’ safety. This chapter seeks to address issues surrounding journalists’ safety and censorship in Colombia shedding light on triple menace: the decrease in journalistic quality, citizens’ right to information and the influence on journalists’ professional behavior by analysing the multifaceted press censorship from 2008 to 2017, which occurred before and after the Peace Accord between FARC guerrilla and president Juan Manuel Santos. Media ethnography and in-depth interviews were used. Employing the Bourdieu’s Theory of Professional Field, the praxis, rationale and censorship of journalists during the conflict were mapped. The findings shed light on how the censorship went on during a more stable period in the conflict and how journalists were silenced and threatened.

Keywords: Safety, Journalists, Censorship, Self-censorship, Conflict, Media History, Colombia, Qualitative Research, Media Ethnography

DOI: 10.7176/IAGS/78-05

Publication date: December 31^st 2019