Journalists vs. War Crimes: War reporting is currently undergoing profound transformation. Two of the most important and mutually intertwined phenomena are the integration of open-source investigations in war and investigative reporting and the involvement of journalists in war crime investigations. These phenomena bring about potential points of frictions, new ethical questions, and mental pressure. Based on interviews with media professionals using open sources to investigate war crimes, I will address the following question: How do journalists investigating war crimes integrate new roles, norms, values, and concepts in their professional identities, and rethink and reshape their relationships to and boundaries with criminal and legal institutions?
Bio: Johana Kotišová is an Assistant Professor in Documentary and Journalism at the Department of Media Studies, University of Amsterdam. Her recent work – published in journals such as Digital Journalism, Journalism, Journalism Studies, or The International Journal of Press/Politics – focuses on crisis and conflict reporting, investigative reporting, cultural journalism, media professionals’ emotional labour and mental well-being. Next to her work, Johana recently finished training in psychotherapy and works with media professionals as a mental well-being counsellor.
