The aim of the thesis is to understand how investigative journalists in Sweden experience hostility, as well how they cope with hostility in their professional role and in their private lives. The work of investigative journalism aims to scrutinize those in power, politicians and organizations, to ensure that abuse of power doesn't go unnoticed. The revealing reportage is in many cases unfavorable to the ones being exposed. This can put investigative journalists at a higher risk for being victims of acts of hostility. The theoretical framework draws upon Hanitsch and Vos (2017) conceptual framework of journalistic roles, as well as a theory by Ivask et al (2023) about journalistic approaches. These combined help to create a greater understanding of how the journalists are affected in different aspects. Methodologically, the research relies on semi-structured interviews with ten investigative journalists in Sweden, to reach a deeper understanding of their experiences and how they reflect on hostility. These interviews were conducted over a period spanning from October to December 2023. The findings of the study unveil the diverse ways in which hostility affects investigative journalists. While all journalists express a desire to remain unaffected by hostility, some individuals encounter psychological challenges that influence their editorial choices. In contrast, others demonstrate resilience by refusing to allow hostility to compromise the integrity of their work or instill fear in their professional pursuits. The provision of organizational support and the implementation of proactive measures to counteract hostility emerge as pivotal factors in mitigating the impact of such adversarial encounters.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-521996 |
| Date | January 2023 |
| Creators | martinell, carolina, Parayon, Estelle |
| Publisher | Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för informatik och media |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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