Exit, Voice, Compliance, and Masking

Journalists’ Navigational Strategies in Mozambique

Bibliographic Data

ID19480307
AuthorsArianna Ioki (0009-0008-6221-8132, Tsinghua University, corresponding author), Ka Kio Mok (0009-0006-3791-9645, Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris)
Year2026
Pages1-22
Publication date2026-04-15
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournalism Practice (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1751-2786 • E-ISSN: 1751-2794
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17512786.2026.2657850
OpenAlexW7154510807
LanguageEN
References cited29

This article examines how journalists navigate risk and make professional decisions in restrictive and precarious environments, drawing on a qualitative case study of Mozambique. Rather than treating journalists as merely reactive to violence and threat, the study foregrounds their active role in recalibrating professional practice under pressure. The analysis is based on 126 interview sessions with 90 journalists and former journalists, complemented by an exploratory survey and fieldwork materials. Through iterative, abductive analysis, the article develops an analytical framework of Exit, Voice, Compliance, and Masking (EVCM) to conceptualize the diverse and fluid strategies through which journalists manage uncertainty, danger, and constraint. By revealing the complex trade-offs between professional ideals, personal security, and political-economic pressures, the study highlights adaptive and often low-visibility forms of agency. It contributes to ongoing debates on media–State relations, journalistic culture, and the evolving hybrid boundaries of journalistic work in high-risk settings

Global Positioning System · Social media · Tourism · African history and culture studies · African studies and sociopolitical issues · Media Studies and Communication