Abstract:
This research is based on 28 in-depth interviews with Kenya-based journalists
who report terrorism. The objective of the research was to recount their lived
experiences. The theme of safety of journalists comprised psychological and physical
safety of the newspeople, and there were various ways in which the psychological
and individual safety of the journalists covering terrorism and related events was
at risk. The psychological safety included traumatic events leading to sleeplessness
and nightmares, loss of memory, and some journalists resorting to alcohol abuse in
a bid to cope with the traumatic experiences. These physical safety concerns for
some journalists included threats of death by fanatical religious groups, while other
participants said that they were threatened with death because of their coverage of
terrorism and related activities in Kenya.
