Call for online threats to women in the media to be taken more seriously
More than 100 media leaders have joined Women in Journalism (WiJ) to call for online threats and harassment of women working in media industries to be taken more seriously by police.
A letter was sent jointly by WiJ, non-profit press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders and UK publisher Reach plc to police leaders and government ministers with responsibility for the safety of journalists.
Signatories of the letter, which was sent on March 8, 2024, to coincide with International Women’s Day, included WiJ chair and ITN CEO Rachel Corp, Chief Digital Publisher at Reach David Higgerson and Fiona O’Brien, the UK director of Reporters Without Borders.
Those names were joined by scores of journalists, media leaders, directors for charity and non-profit organisations dedicated to journalism, and members of WiJ.
The letter follows on a year from the day on which WiJ published research, conducted jointly with Reach, which evidenced the regularity and impact of online violence conducted against women in the industry.
The research showed three quarters of women working in journalism in the UK have faced online harm such as threats, sexual violence, stalking and harassment. The consequences included significant mental health impacts and suicidal thoughts as well as women choosing to move away from public-facing work or leave journalism altogether.
Today’s letter, which appeals for a change in the way police respond to online violence, states: “The chilling effect of online violence - likely to get worse as we head towards elections - stifles press freedom and creates spaces for disinformation to thrive; it also risks making journalism less diverse at a time it needs more than ever to be representative.”
It goes on to call for police to improve the recording of crimes against journalists by clearly logging when attacks are related to a journalist’s work.
It also requests that police report back to the government on crimes against journalists so that data can underpin further action, such as holding social media platforms to account.
Today’s letter comes following an investigation conducted earlier this year which uncovered worrying inconsistency in the way police record online crimes reported by journalists.
Freedom of Information requests were submitted to seven police forces in England and Wales known to have handled reports of online threats or harassment targeting journalists since January 2022. Of the requests, five were rejected on the basis that it would take too long and cost too much to check, because the fact the victim was a journalist occupations had been recorded in a variety of ways - even though the crime was tied to their journalism. A sixth request was not returned within the timeframe, and a seventh found no record of crimes reported by journalists.
The investigation highlights that while some forces may note the occupation of a victim of online crime if it is connected to the crime they are reporting, there is no consistent approach, meaning the data cannot be reported back to forces or to the government. As a result there is no formal record of crimes conducted against journalists in connection to their work, despite evidence from industry that such crimes are regular and increasing.
Dr Rebecca Whittington, Online Safety Editor for Reach and advisory committee member for Women in Journalism, is behind the research and subsequent FOI investigation.
She said: “We know from research that women in journalism are suffering in their professional and personal lives due to online harassment and often sexually violent threats.
“We also know online threats happen regularly and that the outcomes can be serious, but the response can be inconsistent and without reliable data we cannot hold those responsible to account.
“For too long women in journalism and media have been subjected to unacceptable online harm, we have to work with police to break this cycle and make our industry safer for women now and in the future.”
Fiona O’Brien, the UK director of Reporters Without Borders, said: “Online violence against women journalists - often sexualised or misogynistic - has risen alarmingly in recent years and can have a devastating impact, both on individual lives and on freedom of the press more widely.
“It’s vital that police step up and work with the industry to ensure victims are supported and perpetrators brought to account. No one should have to suffer abuse because of their job.”
The letter was sent to national police leads on the Committee for the Safety of Journalists, Chief Superintendent Sam Donaldson, Superintendent Joanne McEwan and Chief Constable Pippa Mills.
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Secretary of State Lucy Frazer KC MP, along with ministers on the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists, Laura Farris MP, Minister for Victims and Safeguarding, Home Office and Julia Lopez MP, Minister for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure, DCMS, also received a copy of the letter.
