Safety of Journalists
SafetyOfJournalists.org is an international research platform developed for the University of Liverpool in collaboration with UNESCO. Built using Statamic and Laravel, the site supports the publication of research and policy around journalist safety, including the launch of an interactive global index that visualises country-specific data through a custom-designed choropleth map and detailed reporting tools.
Client: University of Liverpool in co-operation with UNESCO
Sector: Press Freedom
Services: Strategy, Design, Development
A global research platform and interactive index tracking the safety of journalists—designed for academics, policy-makers, and the public.
Mapping Press Freedom and Risk Through Research and Design
SafetyOfJournalists.org is a collaborative international project led by the University of Liverpool, working alongside UNESCO and the Worlds of Journalism Study. The platform brings together academics, civil society organisations, and international bodies to share resources, publish research, and advocate for the protection of journalists around the globe.
We were brought in to design and develop the website from the ground up, creating a platform that balances academic credibility with accessibility. The core site was built using a flat-file installation of Statamic, providing flexibility for content creators to manage and publish everything from academic papers and policy reports to infographics and media. All design and development was handled in-house, with a strong focus on usability, clarity, and long-term maintainability.
A Global Safety Index with Real-Time Insight
In the most recent phase of the project, we designed and delivered a major extension to the platform: the Journalist Safety Index. Based on survey data from tens of thousands of journalists around the world, the index provides an interactive view into the risks and realities journalists face in individual countries. Built using a Laravel backend with Eloquent ORM for structured data, the index sits as a dynamic layer on top of the static site—allowing for rich, data-driven insight without compromising the lightweight architecture of the original build.
The centrepiece of the index is a custom-designed choropleth map utilising the Viridis color palette, perfect for this kind of data visualisation. The map itself was built using open-source GeoJSON data and the open-source MapLibre library. This interactive tool lets users explore safety conditions by region or country, linking directly to detailed reports filled with visualised survey data, contextual insights, and comparative metrics. Every element of the experience—from the way users navigate the map, to the structure of the underlying data—was designed and developed by us.
We continue to support the project as it evolves, helping the team at University of Liverpool and their international partners extend the platform, refine its tools, and ensure it remains a vital and trustworthy source of information on press freedom and journalist safety.
