Solidarity carries connotations of unity, standing together, cooperation, community, and shared humanity. Solidarity resonates as a key value across world religions, countries, and communities.
Yet solidarity quickly becomes dangerous when it is discussed in terms of social justice rather than general social cohesion. Social justice means dignity for everyone in a society, which is not an obviously controversial aim. Still, media that stands for universal humanity often disturbs those who benefit from dividing, dehumanizing, and disputing the fact that people are indeed people.
Historically, solidarity journalism and solidarity media around the world have stood against colonialism, slavery, segregation, disenfranchisement, and labor exploitation. Doing so has always been dangerous because the powerful cling to a status quo that denies people’s basic dignity. Backlash may lead to silencing those who dare to stand for basic human dignity.
People who practice solidarity in journalism and media around the world have faced dangers including:
- Arrests
- Lawsuits
- Imprisonment
- Detention
- Trolling
- Doxxing
- In-person verbal harassment
- Digital verbal harassment via direct messages and email
- Physical attacks
- Targeted threats against homes, families, and communities
- Coordinated online smear campaigns designed to discredit people’s integrity, often by alleging bribery or corruption
Despite ongoing attempts to deter, devalue, and diminish solidarity in journalism and media, people continue to practice it around the world. This persistence indicates the profound depth of their commitment to social justice that translates into action, even when this commitment compromises their personal safety and well-being.
This resource is based on work presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (2025). If you would like a PDF of the study, please email anita.varma@austin.utexas.edu.
Kaliyarakath, R. & Varma, A. (2025). “Press Freedom as a Collective Right to Dignity: Journalistic Resistance Against Repression Through Solidarity Reporting.” Accepted to the 108th Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Annual Conference. International Communication Division. San Francisco, CA.
Related work:
Varma, A. (2024). “Navigating the dangers of mainstream visibility for marginalized communities through an ethic of solidarity in digital journalism.” In Sandra Banjac, Joëlle Swart, David Cheruiyot, and Scott A. Eldridge II (Eds.), Routledge Companion to Digital Journalism Studies. 2nd edition. Routledge.
Varma, A. (in preparation). Dangerous Solidarity: How Truth Tellers Persist in Hostile Conditions. Book project in development.
Varma. A., Kaliyarakath, R., Amah, M., Ibrahim, O., Hatef, A., Arif, A., Shaban, S., Lukito, J. (in preparation). “Dangerous Solidarity for Social Justice: A Framework for Recognizing the Stakes of Resistance through Journalism and Media.”