Journalists have developed ways to deal with online harassment, from shutting down social media accounts, to confronting abusers, to advocating for change on a systemic level. In this episode, we hear about how that works.
In this episode:
- Ceyda Karan [1], Turkish journalist
- Marija Vucic, Serbian journalist with KRIK Crime and Corruption Reporting Network [2]
- Nighat Dad, lawyer, founder of the Digital Rights Foundation [3] in Pakistan
- Viktorya Vilk, manager of special projects, Free Expression Programmes, PEN America [4]
The Backstory production team is Andrew Heslop, Mariona Sanz, Colette
Davidson and Sarah Elzas, who edited and mixed the episode.
Music in this episode by Chris Zabriskie [5]
Resources and tips:
- PEN America [4]’s Online Harassment Digital Field Manual [6]contains effective strategies and resources that writers, journalists, their allies, and their employers can use to defend against cyber hate and fight online abuse.
[7]WAN-IFRA Women in News Sexual Harassment Toolkit
[7]Women in News [8] has developed a practical toolkit for media employers and employees to deal with and prevent sexual harassment in their media organisations. The toolkit includes:
1) Practical guide for media employers and employees (digital version [9] and print version [10])
2) Awareness poster (A2) to put up in newsrooms and offices (digital version [11] and print version [12])
3) Sample sexual harassment policy (word version [13])
4) Sample sexual harassment survey (word version [14])
5) Sample communications templates (word version [15])- Managing Journalism’s Inherent Risks for the Digital Native Generation [16]
For the new generation of journalists, having an internet presence can be crucial to getting more work, but journalism schools and newsrooms must do better to ensure that young journalists know about digital threats and online harassment. By Colette Davidson - Attacks and Harassment - The Impact on Female Journalists and Their Reporting [17]
IWMF [18] and TrollBusters [19] report examining the professional dangers of being a female journalist in the news media today - ‘The threats follow us home’: Survey details risks for female journalists in U.S., Canada [20]
A report from CPJ
[21] - International News Safety Institute [22] resource page
- Newsroom Best Practices for Addressing Online Violence Against Journalists [23]
A report from IPI [24] examining best practices adopted by newsrooms in Europe for addressing online harassment and attacks against journalists.
