Communicator Sphere
Vol. 6 No. 1 (2026): June 2026 (IN PRESS)

Pressures on Journalists in the Digital Age: A Systematic Review

Surokim Surokim (Universitas Airlangga)
Rachmah Ida (Universitas Airlangga)



Article Info

Publish Date
13 Jul 2026

Abstract

Journalistic operating conditions have profoundly transformed in the digital era. Beyond established political and institutional pressures, journalists contend with new constraints from digital platforms, online harassment, and media economic restructuring, raising critical concerns for press freedom, autonomy, and sustainable news production. While scholarly focus on these pressures has grown, the literature remains fragmented across disciplines, geographies, and themes. This study synthesizes research on journalistic pressures via a systematic literature review of Scopus-indexed, peer-reviewed publications. Adhering to PRISMA 2020 guidelines, the review analyzes 637 articles (1984-2024), examining temporal trends, research production patterns, disciplinary distributions, and thematic evolution. Findings show rapid scholarship growth in the last decade, mirroring intensified concerns over digital hostility, platform visibility, and economic shifts. Research production is concentrated in Global North institutions, indicating persistent imbalances. Five dominant themes emerge: political/institutional pressures, digital harassment/networked hostility, organizational/economic constraints, journalists' psychological impacts, and digital platforms' influence. By mapping four decades of scholarship, this study offers an integrated perspective on pressures in digitally mediated societies, identifying crucial avenues for future research in journalism and communication studies.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

communicatorsphere

Publisher

Subject

Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Social Sciences

Description

Communicator Sphere, a single-blind peer-reviewed journal, concentrates on communication studies with broad scopes, multi-perspective and interdisciplinary journal which can provide reader the latest and important findings in theory, practice and ...