인도·남아시아

This study uses interviews with 15 digital journalists in Bangladesh to determine how the country’s Digital Security Act (DSA) 2018, which makes publishing information critical of the government a punishable offence, has influenced journalistic norms and autonomy. Findings show that DSA has led to fear of jail or even disappearance among journalists, limiting journalists’ perceived levels of professional autonomy. While previous research shows that journalists may practice self-censorship in such contexts, this research identifies a range of strategic practices that journalists in Bangladesh have developed to publish relevant information while avoiding the consequences of the DSA. Collectively, we refer to these strategies as a practice of ‘defensive journalism’. This study adds to our understanding of the relationship between safety, autonomy, and self-censorship specifically in a non-Western, digital context.