Sustainable Journalism: Reflections from the Global South

Collectively, the articles in this special issue, validate the centrality of Sustainable Journalism as the necessary framework for confronting the persistent, multifaceted challenges of the Global South. The research synthesizes two persistent, critical themes. First, the systemic need for journalism education and practice to integrate a comprehensive sustainability perspective (Booker et al., 2025; Appiah-Adjei, 2025; Saldana et al., 2025). This includes moving beyond polarized or conflict-only framing toward constructive, solutions-oriented, and equitable reporting that effectively covers dimensions of sustainability (e.g., environmental, societal, and economic). Second, the articles consistently expose the fragile economic and political conditions that threaten the media institution itself (Fernandes, 2025; Colussi et al. 2025; Carpes & Vieira, 2025). This industry fragility manifests in several ways: the vulnerability of news agendas to powerful external sources, dependence on global media conglomerates, and the ethical trade-offs publishers make when prioritizing short-term revenue over genuine audience engagement.