Sallie Hughes

Sallie Hughes is a Professor and Department Chair of Journalism and Media Management at the University of Miami’s School of Communication. She holds a PhD in Latin American Studies from Tulane University. Her roles include leading the Latin American region for the Worlds of Journalism Study, the largest global study of journalists’ working conditions and professional values.

Her research focuses on journalism sustainability, media’s role in democracy, and journalist safety in insecure contexts. Notable works include Newsrooms in Conflict: Journalism and the Democratization of Mexico and co-authored Making a Life in Multiethnic Miami. Current projects explore occupational stress coping strategies and violence against journalists in Mexico and Brazil.

Professional experience includes senior research leadership at the University of Miami Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas (2016–2021). Teaching focuses on comparative journalism and media systems analysis. Her work bridges academic research with real-world challenges facing news professionals in democratic transitions and conflict zones.

Key contributions include conceptual frameworks for understanding journalist safety globally and measuring editorial autonomy in insecure democracies. Her research often addresses transnational issues like migration media representation and authoritarianism’s impact on press freedom.