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Getting away with journalists' murder? : impunity and its impact on investigative journalism and press freedom
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Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
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1751-2786; 1751-2794
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Journalism practice, 2025, OnlineFirst
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PAPADOPOULOU, Lambrini, ŽUFFOVÁ, Mária, Getting away with journalists’ murder? : impunity and its impact on investigative journalism and press freedom, Journalism practice, 2025, OnlineFirst - https://hdl.handle.net/1814/94135
Abstract
One of the preconditions for investigative journalism is the ability to do it safely. Studies exploring investigative journalists’ experiences with attacks and threats are in abundance. However, research examining the impact of the journalist's murder on their colleagues and their work has been scarce. Moreover, studies regarding the impact of perceived impunity for these crimes are also lacking. Through qualitative semi-structured interviews (n = 20), the present study utilizes the murders of Giorgos Karaivaz in Greece in 2021 and Ján Kuciak in Slovakia in 2018 to examine their impact on the community of investigative journalists in their respective countries. The findings point to differing outcomes. While in both countries, the murders deteriorated press freedom, in Greece, the lengthy investigations and the lack of public support left journalists viewing Karaivaz’s assassination as emblematic of impunity, making them feel intimidated, alone, and ultimately reconsidering what topics they cover. In Slovakia, a strong public backlash shook the political landscape and mobilized journalists to continue Kuciak's stories. Nonetheless, as time passed and threats and attacks reappeared, journalists started to reconsider their perceptions of safety and impunity.
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Published online: 04 December 2025