Brazil

With a high media concentration and intense political polarisation, Brazilian journalism is marked by violence against the press, a lack of pluralism, and structural precarity. The data collected for this study frames a period of political turmoil marked by the government's transition from far-right to leftist presidency and a coup d'état attempt in January 2023 led by supporters of the former government. After four years of systematic discredit campaigns and attacks led by political leaders, the country is still vulnerable, facing new threats. Concerns about emotional and mental well-being and losing their jobs in the next 12 months are widespread, being even higher among women journalists, who are also the most frequent targets of psychological violence. Nearly half fear for their physical safety, and the vast majority indicated feeling stressed at work, raising concerns about mental health, media freedom, and long-term professional prospects. Psychological violence emerges as the most damaging and persistent issue reported by Brazilian journalists. Most of them experienced publicly discrediting and demeaning or hateful speech in the last five years, while one in four face it often or frequently. Around half of the respondents also reported having their morality questioned, reflecting the growing distrust and hostility toward the media. Digital violence, while less frequent, remains a serious concern; surveillance is the most common type of digital safety issue - 26.6% have experienced it often or very often. Although legal actions against journalists did not appear prominently in the analyzed data, they constitute another rising threat affecting psychological and financial security in recent years. The study reveals a hostile and risky environment for media professionals, even those considered stable, despite its methodology not fully capturing the realities of Brazil's most vulnerable groups of journalists. Salaries are, on average, equivalent to those at the beginning of a career, even though most respondents have more than ten years of experience, higher education (in many cases, postgraduate qualifications), and hold middle or upper-management roles. Slightly more than half (51%) are employed under Brazil's CLT (Consolidation of Labor Laws), which guarantees basic legal protections and workers' rights. The remaining permanent contracts fall into other formal categories offering less social protection. Additionally, around one-third of respondents require supplementary income to sustain themselves, most working 40 hours a week or less. Due to structural conditions in the job market, working fewer hours as a journalist does not necessarily equate to decent labour conditions; for many, making ends meet usually requires more than one job and overtime hours. This reflects the structural precarity of Brazil's media sector, where mass layoffs, newsroom closures, and the replacement of experienced professionals with overburdened younger staff have become standard. Women are especially vulnerable, occupying lower positions, earning less, and facing more frequent threats.