The risks and resilience in reporting violent extremism

This article examines the lived experiences of conflict reporters to unpick the pitfalls and perseverance in journalism practice in dangerous places. It uses the case of covering the Boko Haram conflict to unpack the risks journalists encounter in reporting on violent extremism. Drawing on individual interviews and focus groups with 34 journalists and newsroom observations, the study provides insights into the complexities of covering violent extremism, their consequences on journalists’ lives and on journalism production, and the coping mechanisms deployed to withstand them. Professional collaboration, avoidance of antagonism, social solidarity and remote reporting strategies were found to be the conflict reporters’ main modes of resistance and resilience.