Protecting female journalists from online abuse still crucial

Digital media present a plethora of benefits for news dissemination and distribution.

Across all mediums, the internet has increased the speed of news and the various creative forms of storytelling. For journalists, it has amplified the spaces they occupy, as well as the conversations they can start and contribute to.

It is for these reasons that online journalism is an unstoppable communication system. One that we have all come to rely on.  That same feeling of dependence is how most reporters in the field feel about their jobs.

Journalism is a duty, an act of service to the public even more so when it serves to uplift those who are marginalised in society.

The feelings of purpose and fulfilment are what keep many of us journalists determined to continue the line work we do. But when the dark side of the internet aims to remove every fracture of duty through hate crime, harassment, and abuse, journalists, especially females who are the most targeted, begin to question their job.

73 per cent of women journalists have experienced online violence reports a global survey conducted by UNESCO. In connection with this, they found that 20 per cent of respondents experienced further attacks offline.

To increase the severity of the situation, reports of devoted journalists found dead after receiving online abuse have surfaced on news websites more than they have in previous years. Highlighting a real problem within online journalism.

The third-largest ethnic group to experience online abuse in UNESCO’s survey were Black African, Afro Caribbean and African- American female journalists which marked race as a contributing factor to the attacks.

In African regions, the situation was no better as 2020 proved to be a difficult and dangerous year for African journalists who were harassed, killed on assignment, and imprisoned. Such acts of violence are clear violations of human rights.

Within news reporting, the concept of press freedom applies to all mediums and should not be discarded by targeting individuals. As a result of emerging online abuse cases, reporters are becoming more conscious of the stories they write about. The order and purpose of news reporting are no longer as stable as they should be. When it comes to informing the public on important matters freedom of the press applies.

For newsrooms to uphold and protect their journalists and their role in society, they need to form collective efforts with the government, unions and charity organisations to establish effective and supportive initiatives for journalists.

One of the main reasons online abuse emerges is political views. Depending on the topic and framing of a news story, attacks can come from political beliefs combined with sexism, misogyny, racism, classism, religious bigotry or homophobia.

Initiatives such as training online safety and the procedures one must take to report attacks will be fundamental ways to prevent harming journalists. Research shows reporters being exposed to online harassment can experience trauma and exhibit similar symptoms of PTSD.

Mental health practitioners can offer therapy sessions to those suffering from trauma. This should be covered by higher-ups in newsrooms globally as they must also ensure employees are fit mentally and physically to carry out their jobs. There is a small but visible percentage of journalists who have left their jobs fearing for their lives because of the horrific abuse they received online. Many of those who are targeted are journalists in the early stages of their careers.

As a journalist still in the early formations of my career, experiencing hate crime and abuse online would derail my confidence in the field. The exciting environment of working in the newsroom would be obsolete and clouded by the overwhelming negativity abuse can cause.

For the future of journalism, protective systems for reporters and their sources need to be applied with immediate effect.

The landscape of anything digital is always in constant transition, and the product of online technology is like a two-sided coin. One side is filled with ground-breaking systems that advance industry practices and the other is a series of risks that when tapped into can break the human foundations of those using the internet. Whether for work or entertainment, the online space needs to have protective systems in place.

This article is part of African Women in Media (AWiM) Graduate Trainee Programme in collaboration with FOJO Media Institute