This research examines how fear, in the digital environment, acts as a factor of change in professional practices and in the relationship of journalists with audiences and sources. Through 91 in-depth interviews, it identifies the transformations and repercussions of this evolution and the role that fear plays in audience attraction practices such as clickbait; in actions to protect journalists such as self-censorship and anonymity, as well as the emergence of new reporting dynamics such as the “selfie recorded testimonial”.