CMP Grads Explore Challenges Facing Journalists

Recent studies by graduate students in the Department of Communication, Media and Persuasion highlight the online and in-field challenges faced by journalists working in the states of Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.

In a paper titled: ‘They Call Me Woke’: Exploring the Online and In-field Challenges Faced by Community Journalists in the Digital Age,” that was published in Media Watch journal in February 2026, Md. Masud Un Nabi examines the online and in-field harassment experiences of community journalists in the Intermountain West. Nabi’s paper is based on his MA thesis that he successfully defended in Spring 2024.

Nabi explored how hostility towards the press affects journalists’ emotional well-being and professional intentions. Through a mixed-method approach combining survey data and in-depth interviews, the findings reveal a significant correlation between online abuse and in-field threats, highlighting a concerning spillover effect. Younger journalists and those early in their careers report heightened vulnerability, experiencing more emotional distress, and exhibiting a greater likelihood of considering leaving journalism. The findings also highlight that women journalists are facing elevated emotional harm and proactively adopting more safety measures, despite comparable levels of harassment as men. The study underscores the urgent need for improved organizational support, enhanced safety training, and greater institutional accountability to ensure the well-being and retention of community journalists in politically polarized environments.

This is the second paper by CMP graduates that has been published on the work-related stressors faced by journalists in the region. In the first study published in the Journalism Practice journal, titled “People Don't Like Journalists, Especially Women!”: Comparing the Online and Offline Harassment Faced by Local Journalists,” Kaitlyn Hart, who graduated in the Spring of 2023, found that while both men and women journalists equally experience social media harassment, women journalists are more likely to take precautions for their online safety. Significantly more women journalists described being pushed at political events, threatened online and in-person, intimidated by weapons, and considering leaving the profession, etc.

Dr. Neelam Sharma, associate professor and faculty adviser for both projects, said the research findings highlight important aspects of journalism that are mostly overlooked. “The studies show the resilience of journalists who are committed to professional integrity despite work-related stressors,” she added.

The links to both these articles are below:

Nabi, M. M. U., & Sharma, N. (2026). ‘They Call Me Woke’: Exploring the Online and In-Field Challenges Faced by Community Journalists in the Digital Age. Media Watch, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/09760911261423851

Hart, K., & Sharma, N. (2024). “People Don't Like Journalists, Especially Women!”: Comparing the Online and Offline Harassment Faced by Local Journalists. Journalism Practice, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2024.2441279