Safety of Journalists Logo
University of Liverpool logo

The University of Liverpool is one of the top UK universities, member of the prestigious Russell Group of 24 leading UK universities.

Worlds of Journalism study logo

The Worlds of Journalism Study is a cross-national collaborative project assessing the state of journalism in the world through representative surveys with journalists.

UNESCO logo prefixed with

UNESCO is the lead UN Agency for promoting freedom of expression and safety of journalists as part of its mandate to “promote the free flow of ideas by word and image”.

Valerie Belair-Gagnon

Associated Professor and Cowles Fellow in Media Management at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

well-being mental health digital journalism innovation hostility harassment

My work focuses on digital journalism, media innovation and well-being in journalism.


Definition of journalists' safety

Safety relates to journalists and media workers' ability to receive, produce, and share information without facing physical or moral threats, whether these relates to abuse and harassment, job precarity, organizational responses, and so on.

Future plans for research on journalists' safety

Two forthcoming books: - Happiness in Journalism (2023, Routledge with Holton, Mark Deuze and Claudia Mellado), - The Paradox of Connection (2024, Illinois University Press, with Diana Bossio, Holton and Logan Molyneux).
Research focuses:
Digital
Methods used in research:
Interviews, Qualitative content analysis, Ethnography
Countries of research focus:
Global

Areas interested in collaborating with NGOs

UNESCO, any really

Areas interested in collaborating with other researchers

digital journalism
Valerie Belair-Gagnon

Valerie Belair-Gagnon