This report by The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) and Trollbusters provides a clear examination of the professional dangers of being a female journalist in the news media today. Against a global backdrop that has changed significantly in the past five years both politically and digitally, this report provides an update to the 2014 report “Violence and Harassment Against Women in the News Media: A Global Picture.” This new report describes how different actors are using physical and social media strategies against women journalists to intimidate, sow disinformation, discredit the journalist and the news media, and create significant professional harm.
Survey respondents stated that online attacks have become more visible and coordinated in the past five years:
- 63 percent of the respondents indicated they had been threatened or harassed online
- 58 percent indicated they had been threatened or harassed in person
- 26 percent indicated they had been physically attacked
- One in 10 respondents has experienced a death threat in the past year. Freelancers express more concern about their physical safety.
- 29 percent of all respondents indicated the threats and attacks they received made them think about getting out of the profession
- 37 percent avoided certain stories because of the threats and attacks.
Author: Michelle Ferrier