A new study published on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, the International Center for Journalists and UNESCO urged newsrooms to do more to protect women journalists who are subjected to violence online.
The absence of policies to combat this problem, or even recognition of its existence, has resulted in newsrooms often abandoning women journalists and leaving them to face online violence alone and its psychological, professional and financial consequences, according to a new excerpt from a forthcoming book entitled A global study on violence against women journalists via the Internet, authored by Dr. Julie Bosetti, Vice President for Global Research at the International Center for Journalists, and researcher Nabila Shbeir. Becky Gardiner, Lecturer at Goldsmiths College, University of London also contributed as a research specialist to this chapter.
The researchers analyzed findings from 15 case studies from different countries on the response of newsrooms to online attacks, along with answers from surveys and interviews with nearly 1,000 journalists, editors and experts. Accordingly, the study stated, “There is a need to shift responsibility for managing online gender-based violence from journalists under attack to news organizations that employ them, political and other actors who frequently incite and fuel attacks, as well as digital services that serve as platforms for abuse. ".
News organizations will not be able to completely stem violence against women journalists online, as most attacks occur via social media platforms, and the perpetrators include powerful political forces. But with women journalists facing increasing hardships from their work and freedom of the press suffering, the media must do what they can to stop this wave of violence.
In this context, the study confirmed that “[newsrooms] are responsible for doing everything in their power to repel these attacks and protect and defend the targets when they are attacked and in the aftermath, as well as reporting the attacks and ensuring that the perpetrators face the consequences from the state and Internet companies when needed.” .
The researchers also advised newsrooms to "redouble their efforts" and "update their response protocols adequately". Here's how to do it — and the shortcomings you face today.
In most newsrooms, there are no written protocols for responding to online violence. Other newsrooms with such protocols fail to implement them effectively or consistently. As a result, this response to the attacks has left the targeted female journalists with insufficient or no support.