Attacks and Harassment: Online Violence and its Impact on Women Journalists

Social media and the internet more generally have created an organized network of misogyny and violence, oftentimes intersecting with other specific forms of discrimination such as racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, homophobia, etc. [1] In a survey of 901 journalists from 125 different countries around the globe, in addition to 173 interviews with international journalists and experts in freedom of expression, human rights law, and digital safety, this UNESCO report details the grim impact that this online vitriol has on women globally.[2] For the purposes of this report, online violence is defined as an attempt to, “belittle, humiliate, and shame; induce fear, silence, and retreat; discredit them professionally, undermining accountability journalism and trust in facts; and chill their active participation (along with that of their sources, colleagues and audiences) in public debate.”[3] This amounts to an assault on freedom of expression, something those in the United States are guaranteed with few limitations, an attack on freedom of the press, another guaranteed right that not only affects those who wish to speak, but also the general public who listens to them, further fueling the rampant spread of disinformation and misinformation on the internet.[4] 

According to the report, this disinformation has three main functions. First, “disinformation tactics are routinely deployed in targeted multiplatform online attacks against women journalists.”[5] Secondly, “reporting on disinformation and intertwined issues, such as digital conspiracy networks and far-right extremism, is a trigger for heightened attacks.”[6] Lastly, “disinformation purveyors operationalize misogynistic abuse, harassment and threats against women journalists to undercut public trust in critical journalism and facts in general.”[7] Unfortunately, it is not just anonymous online trolls from extremist websites. Prevalent political actors, such as presidents, congresspeople, or other public faces have instigated online violence campaigns against women journalists. This is referred to as a “pile-on,” that oftentimes escalates the risks of physical assaults or severe emotional and psychological distress.[8] 

Online violence targeting women journalists is greatly varied. However, there are a few common characteristics in how it manifests online. The first: it is networked. The vast majority of the time, these attacks are coordinated and organized. Rarely are they a one-off disgruntled individual attacking a random journalist online. This organization can be fueled by an extremist ‘news’ network, or a group unified by ideology, such as the groups motivated by rampant misogyny that can be found on certain online messaging platforms like reddit/4chan/8chan/etc. These attacks are also usually virulently misogynistic. They often include threats to the family, friends, colleagues, and sources of these journalists. The threats tend to be highly personal and highly sexual in nature. Sexual violence is common in these threats to women journalists.[9] 

An earlier survey, conducted by Troll-Busters and the International Women’s Media Foundation, found that 63% of those surveyed indicated that they received threatening messages and had been harassed online. 58% of respondents indicated that they had received threats and had been harassed in person. 26% of respondents said they had been physically assaulted. Of those surveyed, one in 10 respondents had experienced a death threat within a year.[10] Seven in 10 women surveyed had experienced more than one type of threat or attack.[11]

MANIFESTATIONS: 

One of the most significant findings uncovered that almost three quarters (73%) of those who responded to the survey and self-identified as women, had experienced some form of online violence in the course of their work.[12] 25% of respondents said they experienced threats of physical violence such as death threats, and sexual violence (18% identified this specifically). In addition to this, 13% of respondents said that these threats also included family members and those close to them, such as their children.[13] 20% of respondents said they had experienced physical attacks and/or abuse that was specifically connected to the online violence they received.[14] Racism, religious bigotry, sectarianism, ableism, homophobia, and transphobia also were common themes in the online attacks. Specifically, Black, Indigenous, Jewish, Arab, and lesbian women that participated in the survey reported experiencing the highest and most severe threats of online violence.[15] 

Intersectionality unfortunately plays a role in the choice of target. While 20% of all respondents reported experiencing offline attacks, 53% of Arab women who responded to the survey reported experiencing offline attacks. For online attacks, 64% of White women journalists, 81% of Black women journalists, 86% of Indigenous women journalists, 88% of Jewish women journalists, 72% of Heterosexual women journalists, 85% of Bisexual women journalists, 88% of Lesbian women journalists reported experiencing online violence.[16] Many reported feeling unsafe in the aftermath. A Pew Research survey backs up the findings of the UNESCO survey.  Pew Research found that young women, defined as those between 18-24 years of age, experience online violence at disproportionately higher levels when compared to young men. According to Pew Research, “26% of these young women have been stalked online, and 25% were the target of online sexual harassment. In addition, they do not escape the heightened rates of physical threats and sustained harassment common to their male peers and young people in general.”[17]

Silencing Free Speech

THE IMPACTS:

There are many different impacts of this online violence. According to the survey, 13% of women increased their physical security as a result of these attacks. 4% reported to have missed days at work due to the threats they received. Many of the respondents also suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result, with 26% reporting experiencing mental health issues after attacks. 12% of respondents sought out psychological services to help them deal with the aftereffects of the vitriol.[18] As a result, when asked how these attacks impact their journalism and online expression, 30% of respondents said they now self-censor on social media, and 20% of respondents described withdrawing from all forms of online interaction.[19] 11% of respondents reported missing work to recover from the online violence. 38% reduced their visibility online. 4% quit their jobs as journalists, and 2% abandoned journalism as a career altogether. 

For online threats, 49% of respondents reported receiving hateful messages, 48% of respondents reported receiving harassing private messages. 18% of respondents reported discovering online surveillance, 14% reported being hacked, 8% of respondents were victims of doxxing, and 7% were victims of spoofing.[20] 

IMPLICATIONS: 

As had been indicated by survey respondents, this online vitriol and violence negatively impacts how these women do their jobs. It has caused them to lessen their use of social media, with some leaving all social media platforms altogether. Some of these women felt so unsafe as a result from the online violence that they had quit their jobs and left the journalism profession. This cascade of consequences has had a global impact. Women all around the world are slowly having their freedom of expression diminished, and as a result, global free speech is suffering. 

  1. Julie Posetti, Clare O’Hagan, Nabeelah Shabbir, Diana Maynard, Kalina Bontcheva, and Nermine Aboulez, “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists,” International Center for Journalists (UNESCO, April 29, 2021). 5.
  2. Posetti, et al., “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists.” 6.
  3. Posetti, et al., “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists.” 6.
  4. Posetti, et al., “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists.” 6. 
  5. Posetti, et al., “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists.” 7.
  6. Posetti, et al., “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists.” 7.
  7. Posetti, et al., “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists.” 7. 
  8. Posetti, et al., “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists.” 7. 
  9. Posetti, et al., “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists.” 11.
  10. Michelle Ferrier, “Attacks and Harassment: The Impact on Female Journalists and Their Reporting,” International Women’s Media Foundation and TrollBusters (International Women’s Media Foundation, 2018). 21.  
  11. Ferrier, “Attacks and Harassment: The Impact on Female Journalists and Their Reporting.” 25.
  12. Posetti, et al., “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists.” 12.
  13. Posetti, et al., “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists,” 12.
  14. Posetti, et al., “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists.” 12.
  15. Posetti, et al., “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists.” 13. 
  16. Posetti, et al., “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists.” 22-23.
  17. Maeve Duggan, “Online Harassment,” (Pew Research Center, 2014). 
  18. Posetti, et al., “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists.” 13.
  19. Posetti, et al., “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists.” 13. 
  20. Posetti, et al., “The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists.” 19.
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