The war journalist between professionalism and danger: Covering conflicts in Arab media

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the intersection between journalistic professionalism and danger in the work of war correspondents within conflict zones in Arab media. It investigates how security threats, lack of training, absence of institutional protection, and editorial pressures affect the performance and neutrality of field reporters. The study adopted a descriptive-analytical methodology, utilizing questionnaires and semi-structured interviews as primary data collection tools from a sample of 90 war correspondents and editorial supervisors. The findings revealed a direct impact of security risks on professional objectivity, and highlighted that insufficient training and lack of preparedness undermine correspondents’ decision-making in war environments. The study also showed that institutional neglect increases reporters’ vulnerability and limits the effectiveness of their coverage. Moreover, results confirmed that the political orientations of media institutions significantly influence the independence of correspondents, affecting the credibility of news content. The study concludes with a call for the development of an integrated system of training, protection, and professional support to ensure both the safety and quality of journalistic coverage in armed conflicts.

Keywords: War correspondent, war journalism, media professionalism, armed conflicts, journalism ethics.