Are journalists holding back from expressing themselves online?
Expression Pulse – Journalists’ Digital Freedom Monitor tracks signals of change in journalists’ freedom of expression, sense of safety and participation in Bangladesh’s digital public sphere.
Can fear of possible consequences change what journalists choose to say online?
A journalist may not have been directly targeted, yet may decide not to publish a post after seeing another journalist attacked. Some may stop commenting on political or social issues, while others may narrow the range of issues they discuss publicly. Expression Pulse tracks signals of these less visible changes.
Signals from Round 1
| Indicator | Round 1 |
|---|---|
| Refrained from expressing views because of fear of possible consequences | 18/22 |
| Often refrained from expressing views | 13/22 |
| Feel less comfortable expressing views than six months ago | 15/22 |
| Now avoid publicly discussing some issues | 19/22* |
| Changed their own expression after seeing consequences faced by another journalist | 21/22* |
| Impact on both personal expression and professional journalism | 13/22 |
* Three participants did not answer the question about avoiding topics, and one did not answer the question about the impact of other journalists’ experiences.
What happens to one journalist can change what others say
21 said another journalist’s experience affects their own expression
All 21 who answered this question said seeing another journalist face attack, harassment, threats or other negative consequences affects their own expression. Twelve said the effect is significant and nine said it has some effect.
18 refrained from expressing their views
Eighteen of 22 said they had refrained from expressing views on social media about an event or issue of public interest because of fear of possible consequences. Thirteen said they had done so often.
Some issues are becoming harder to discuss
Nineteen said they avoid discussing some issues publicly online. Responses included politics, political parties and individuals, criticism of government, religion, communal issues, law and order, the economy, rape, foreign policy and institutions.
15 feel less comfortable than six months ago
Fifteen of 22 said they now feel less comfortable expressing views on social media about events in Bangladesh or issues of public interest than they did six months ago.
The main direction of change is toward lower comfort
This is not a measure of Bangladesh’s overall freedom-of-expression environment.
The concerns extend beyond the online space
The concerns extend beyond the online space
Participants mentioned coordinated online harassment, threats, exposure of personal information, reputational harm, professional consequences, workplace pressure, political repercussions, legal complications, physical safety and the safety of family members. Concern that online expression can have offline consequences is influencing decisions about what to say.
Impact beyond personal expression
Impact beyond personal expression
Thirteen participants said concern about negative consequences has affected both their personal expression on social media and their professional life as journalists. Seven said the impact was limited to personal expression. This does not mean that 13 journalists are withholding information from news reports or not publishing stories; Expression Pulse did not examine this.
About Expression Pulse
Round 1 collected anonymous responses from 22 journalists between 10 and 25 August 2026 about their experiences over the previous six months. Eighteen participants were men, three were women and one preferred not to state their gender.
Limitations
This is not a nationally representative survey. Participants were not selected randomly, so the results do not represent all journalists in Bangladesh. Expression Pulse is not intended to describe the overall situation of journalists in Bangladesh in relation to expression in digital spaces. Its purpose is to identify, every six months, signals of change in journalists’ experiences of expressing themselves.