Stop the cycle: Working with police to keep women journalists safe online
The letter below was sent by Women in Journalism, Reporters Without Borders and Reach plc to national police leads on the Committee for the Safety of Journalists, Chief Superintendent Sam Donaldson, Superintendent Joanne McEwan and Chief Constable Pippa Mills, on March 8, 2024, International Women's Day.
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.
Rebecca Whittington and Fiona O’Brien at New Scotland Yard with the letter.
Fiona O'Brien, is the UK Director of Reporters Without Borders
Rebecca Whittington is the Online Safety Editor for Reach PLC and advisory committee member for WiJ
Dear Chief Constable Pippa Mills, Chief Superintendent Sam Donaldson and Superintendent Joanne McEwan,
Violence against women working in journalism in the UK has increased significantly over the past decade, much of it conducted online. While all journalists may be subject to online abuse, women are far more likely to experience gendered attacks: recent research showed that three-quarters of women working in the UK journalism and media industries had experienced rape or death threats, harassment, stalking, misogyny or sexual approaches online in connection to their work.
We are deeply concerned about the impact of online violence on media freedom and diversity. Research conducted by the UK’s largest commercial publisher Reach Plc and Women in Journalism (1) found women were leaving front-line jobs in journalism and minimising their online profiles in order to avoid online violence against them. There is also compelling evidence (2) to show that women of colour, women who openly share their faith, LGBTQ+ women, women with disabilities, and women from working class backgrounds are significantly more likely to experience violence and hate online. 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.
We are also worried about the impact on individuals. Women journalists who experience serious online violence, such as stalking, death or rape threats, or receiving unsolicited pornographic content from anonymous accounts, report long-term impacts on their professional and personal lives, including depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and post-traumatic stress disorder. There is a growing awareness of the link between online and physical violence; fear that online attacks may lead to ‘real-life’ attacks is palpable among those who experience violence online.
Yet despite the rise in online violence, there are worrying inconsistencies in the way police handle, record and respond to online crimes against women journalists nationwide. Women journalists reporting online crimes to police often feel their case is quickly dismissed, or that their fears are perceived as an overreaction – a fact which adds to their trauma and makes it all the more likely they will leave the profession. We need to stop this cycle. The cycle of women feeling unsafe in their work. The cycle of women feeling unheard. We need to secure a safer future for women working in journalism in the UK.
So today, on International Women’s Day, we come together to ask you - as police representatives charged with working on the safety of journalists - to work with us for change. We have four simple asks which could make a world of difference to our industry both now and in the future:
● Improve the recording of crimes against journalists. Accurate reporting - including clearly recording when attacks are related to a journalist’s work - is essential if we are to understand the scale of the problem, formulate effective responses and hold social media platforms to account.
● Provide national-level guidance for police on online violence against journalists, and training on the gendered nature of online violence, the connections between online and physical violence, and best practice in dealing with such crimes.
● Report back to government. As police representatives on the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists, we call on you to regularly report back figures of crimes against journalists to the Committee.
● Improve dialogue between police and industry. Police forces should establish direct and effective channels of communication with journalists and representative bodies to ensure attacks can be quickly reported and effectively dealt with and perpetrators held to account.
Today, we as journalists and media leaders join Reporters Without Borders UK, Women in Journalism and Reach Plc to ask you to do everything you can to break the cycle of abuse that risks side-lining women from journalism. Let’s work together to break the cycle and secure a safer future for women working in journalism.
Yours,
Alex Crawford Foreign Correspondent, Sky News
Alex Stepney Policy and External Affairs Director, News UK
Alison Gow Media Consultant
Alison Phillips Journalist
Andrew Colley Regional Editor, Newsquest Cumbria
Anna Highfield Senior News Reporter, Architects' Journal
Anthony Baxter Deputy Managing Editor, LBC Newsgathering
Antonella Mulè Chief Strategy and Corporate Development Officer, Reach Plc
Anu Anand Journalist
Bénédicte Paviot France 24 ́s UK Correspondent
Carole Cadwalladr Journalist, The Guardian and The Observer
Caroline Waterston Editor, Mirror
Catherine Philp World Affairs Editor, The Times
Cathy Newman Presenter, Channel 4 News
Chris Evans Editor, The Telegraph
Christina Lamb Chief Foreign Correspondent, Sunday Times
Clothilde Redfern Director, Rory Peck Trust
Colin Hume Head of Learning & Development, National World
Daisy Wyatt Associate Editor, The Daily Express
Daniel Gorman Director, English PEN
David Dick Editor In Chief (Scotland), Reach Plc
David Higgerson Chief Digital Publisher, Reach Plc
Dawn Alford Executive Director, Society of Editors
Deborah Bonetti Director, Foreign Press Association in London
Dhruti Shah Freelance journalist
Dominic Ponsford Editor-in-Chief, Press Gazette
Donna Ferguson Freelance Journalist
Donna-Louise Bishop Specialist Reporter, Newsquest
Dr Maja Šimunjak Senior Lecturer in Journalism
Dylan Jones Editor-In-Chief, Evening Standard
Edd Moore Audience and Content Director, South West, Reach plc
Eoin Brannigan Editor-in-Chief, Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life
Fiona O'Brien UK Director, Reporters Without Borders
Fleur Launspach UK Correspondent Dutch national news NOS
Gary Jones Editor, Daily Express and Sunday Express
Gavin Foster Editor, Northern Echo
Gavin Thompson Regional Editor, Newsquest Wales
Gemma Aldridge Editor, Sunday Mirror and The People
Graeme Brown Editor, Birmingham Mail and BirminghamLive
Hanna Geissler Health Editor, Daily Express
Hannah Storm Media Safety Consultant and Co-Director, Headlines Network
Helen Dalby Audience and Content Director, Reach
Hilly Janes Associate Lecturer, Media School, London College of Communication
James Brindle Chief Executive Officer, The Journalists’ Charity
James Evelegh Editor, InPublishing
James Harding Editor and Founder, Tortoise Media
Jenny Kean Writer and Researcher
Jessica Ní Mhainín Policy and Campaigns Manager, Index on Censorship
Jodie Ginsberg CEO, Committee to Protect Journalists
John Crowley Editor, Financial Times
John Wilson Editor, Hereford Times, Newsquest
Jonathan Paterson Managing Director, The News Movement
Joy Yates Regional Editor, Newsquest Cumbria
Julie Etchingham Anchor, ITV News at Ten
Karin Goodwin Co-editor and Journalist, The Ferret
Karyn Fleeting Delivery Director, Reach Plc
Katharine Viner Editor in Chief, Guardian News & Media
Katie French Regional Editor, Newsquest
Leona O’Neill Journalist
Liam Fisher Head of talkSPORT
Lindsey Hilsum International Editor, Channel 4 News
Lisa Bradley Deputy Head of Journalism, University of Sheffield
Liz Green Journalist, Broadcaster
Liz Nice Editor
Marcela Kunova Editor, Journalism.co.uk
Maria Boyle Luxury travel writer and PR director
Maria Breslin Editor, Liverpool Echo
Marianna Spring Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent, BBC
Martin Little Audience Transformation Director, Reach Plc
Mary Nightingale Presenter, ITV Evening News
Michael Adkins Senior Editor, Newsquest
Michela Wrong Journalist and Author
Michelle Stanistreet NUJ General Secretary
Natalie Fahy Editor, Nottinghamshire Live
Nic Keaney Managing Editor
Owen Meredith CEO, News Media Association
Patricia Devlin Investigative Journalist
Patrick Ward Print ACE
Paul Caruana Galizia Reporter, Tortoise Media
Paul Linford Publisher, HoldtheFrontPage
Paul Webster Editor, The Observer
Professor Julie Posetti Global Director of Research, International Center for Journalists;
Professor of Journalism, City, University of London.
Rachel Corp CEO for ITN and Chair of Women in Journalism
Rana Rahimpour Freelance Iranian-British Journalist
Rebecca Whittington Online Safety Editor, Reach Plc
Richard Duggan Regional Editor North West, Newsquest
Richard Porritt Regional Editor, Newsquest
Richard Reeves CEO, AOP (Association of Online Publishers)
Richard Wallace Head of TV, News UK
Robert Peston Journalist
Rodney Edwards Editor, The Impartial Reporter
Ruth Hardy-Mullings Head of Content
Sangita Myska Journalist & LBC Radio Presenter
Sarah Collins Editor at talkSPORT
Sarah Lester Editor, Manchester Evening News
Sarah Macdonald Founder/Director Make Waves Ltd
Sharmeen Ziauddin Editor in Chief, She Speaks We Hear
Sheena McStravick Editor, Belfast Live
Simon Murfitt Senior Editor, Newsquest London
Simon Pitts Chief Executive, STV
Sonya Thomas Freelance Journalist and Writer
Sophia Smith Galer Freelance Journalist and Content Creator
Steffan Rhys Editor, WalesOnline
Tim Lethaby Regional Editor, Newsquest South West
Tim Levell Programme Director, Times Radio
Toby Granville Editorial Development Director, Newsquest
Tony Gallagher Editor, The Times
Victoria Macdonald Health and Social Care Editor
Victoria Newton Editor-in-Chief, The Sun
Wayne Ankers Editor, YorkshireLive
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown Journalist, Columnist, Author
More information on what WiJ, Reporters Without Borders and Reach plc can be read here.
Research cited in the letter can be seen here:
1. Online harms against women working in journalism and media, 2023. Report by Dr Rebecca Whittington for Women in Journalism and Reach Plc.
2. The Chilling: A global study of online violence against women journalists, 2023. Edited by Julie Posetti and Nabeelah Shabbir for the International Centre for Journalists and UNESCO.
