Digitally Right, convened a roundtable on 6th December, 2025, titled “Journalists’ Election Risks & Safety Preparedness” at The Daily Star Centre in Dhaka. The event brought together 16 senior editors, and newsroom managers, to discuss the findings of Digitally Right’s latest study, “High Risks, Low Preparedness: Journalist Safety in 2026 Elections.” This study was conducted by Digitally Right as part of the Media Safety in the Digital Age initiative, in partnership with the Fojo Media Institute at Linnaeus University and with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). It draws on a survey of 201 journalists across 19 districts and 10 in-depth interviews to better understand the threats journalists face and how to address them.
The research presented at the event indicates that the upcoming election is likely to be fraught with intensified risks, ranging from physical assaults and intimidation to sophisticated digital threats. A staggering 89% of journalists surveyed anticipate physical assault, while 76% fear verbal harassment. Over 90% of respondents identified political actors as the primary perpetrators of this violence. The study also highlights a disturbing gender disparity: 50% of female journalists fear sexual harassment, and 80% express concern over surveillance, significantly higher than their male counterparts. Perhaps most alarmingly, the research exposes a critical gap in preparedness. Fewer than 25% of respondents reported receiving safety gear or training from their employers, and 77% stated their newsrooms have no protocols for digital safety.
The stark reality outlined in the report resonated deeply with the roundtable participants, who validated the findings with their own experiences. The participants noted that the research solidified their own perceptions of the deteriorating safety environment. Participants candidly discussed the hesitation of media owners to invest in safety measures and emphasized the urgent need for self-regulation and internal safety procedures in the absence of institutional support.
In response, Digitally Right expressed its willingness to assist newsrooms in formulating safety guidelines, should there be a demand for such support.
To read the full report and explore the findings in detail, click here.
