Information security and journalism: Mapping a nascent research field

Information security (infosec) has become a field of primary interest for journalism, especially in the wake of the 2013 Edward Snowden revelations about the ramifications of Internet mass surveillance. Following the increasing dangers posed by digital threats—and surveillance in particular—to the safety of journalists and their sources, newsrooms and reporters have shown an increased interest in technological solutions for improved protection of their work and sources. In particular, the adoption of strong encryption tools for communication purposes has become an urgent matter for journalists worldwide, becoming a niche of research in journalism studies as well. By reviewing the existing literature in the field, this article examines how journalism studies approach the use of encryption and information security tools for journalistic purposes. Based on research on the major journalism studies journals and other publications, the article offers an overview of the research advancements, highlighting current major trends and research areas.

Sample

This article aims to offer an initial (and obviously not conclusive) mapping of how scholars in journalism studies have analyzed the spread of infosec among journalists by highlighting research trends in the existing literature. This research was conducted following a two-step methodology. First, the top 100 English-language journals included in the Scimago Journal & Country Ranking for “Communication” were considered.

Main Findings

This literature review shows the emergence of two different research themes. Overall, the articles can be classified in the following research areas/topics: (a) the use of infosec tools and practices in journalistic contexts and (b) motivations, rationales, and organizational issues related to infosec in a journalistic context. The articles included in the first group mostly address the analysis of specific infosec practices or the use of specific tools in various journalistic contexts or in response to various digital threats to journalistic practices. The articles comprising the second group relate to research on journalists’ views and ideas about infosec or organizational matters involved in the use of infosec in newsrooms.