Violence against journalists in Africa: A systematic review

This systematic review explores a decade of research (2013–2023) on violence against journalists in Africa, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Data were drawn from Scopus-indexed and other scholarly databases. A corpus of 30 articles was obtained in December 2025 and analysed thematically. The review shows that journalists in Africa face a diverse array of perpetrators, including governments, security forces, and non-state actors. Various forms of violence against journalists, such as physical assaults, psychological injury, murders, and online harassment, are documented in the literature. The review reveals various unexplored areas of research on violence against journalists in Africa and recommends further studies in the field, especially in Northern and Central Africa, which are underrepresented. Apart from the insights into violence against journalists, this review highlights policy and advocacy efforts that contribute to evidence-based practices for protecting journalists and upholding press freedom.