Surviving the ‘cross fire’: How journalists navigate control to report on the Cameroon Anglophone crisis

This study examines the coping strategies of journalists covering the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon as they face government censorship and threats from secessionists. What became known as the Anglophone crisis started as peaceful protests launched in 2016 by English-speaking lawyers and teachers, which degenerated into a secessionist insurgency leading to deaths, destruction of structures, and displacement of the population from Cameroon’s two Anglophone regions. Through semi-structured interviews with 41 media professionals, this study sought to evaluate the impact of well-known government and separatist control measures, and to examine how journalists navigate this environment to continue reporting on the armed conflict. Findings reveal that the desire for personal safety motivates the adoption of survival strategies as journalists persist in gathering and disseminating information. The study further shows that Shoemaker and Reese’s (1996) hierarchy of influences model applies to such contexts. Journalists’ response to external pressure can range from seeking alternative reporting platforms, reporting under cover, to reporting from exile. Theoretically, the findings inspire the proposal of the “pressure response reporting” model for consideration in future research.