On May 8, 2025, between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m., journalist Mariana Chorniievych hosted a live broadcast on Hromadske Radio.
The topics discussed included the situation at the front, propaganda practices in the Russian Federation on the eve of May 9, the modern teaching of World War II in schools, and the launch of an online Ukrainian language course for Ukrainians living in temporarily occupied territories.
At 9:20 a.m., during the broadcast, the journalist received an email sent to her personal address by an unknown user from the mail.ru domain, blocked in Ukraine. The message contained obscene language and a threat: (Translated from Russian) “Listen, bitch, if you keep pushing your propaganda, I’ll paste your photo onto porn and post it on social media.”
“Judging by the content of the email, I assume the sender listened to my entire broadcast,” Mariana Chorniievych told the Women in Media, which she contacted for help immediately after the incident.
This case is an example of gender-based online violence against a woman journalist and includes several forms. Specific types of violence present in this case:
- Sexualized threats
– A direct threat to create and distribute fake pornographic content using the journalist’s image. - Image-based abuse/deepfake threats
– Threatening to edit and use the journalist’s photo in a pornographic context constitutes image-based sexualized violence, aimed at humiliating, intimidating, and damaging her reputation. - Cyberstalking
– Although this incident is not systemic, the fact that it was sent to her personal address during a live broadcast may indicate an attempt at surveillance or intentional harassment, with the potential to escalate into cyberstalking. - Sextortion/doxing threat
– The threat to publicly share a personal or edited image in a humiliating way on social media can also be seen as blackmail, intended to silence the journalist or influence her behavior.
That same day, the journalist, with support from Women in Media, filed a report with the Cyber Police Department of the National Police of Ukraine, requesting appropriate action. Thanks to the NGO’s assistance, the cyber police identified the perpetrator — he is located in a temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.
“This case demonstrates how vulnerable women journalists remain to online violence, especially when covering sensitive topics like war, historical memory, and language policy. A targeted attack during a live broadcast, sexualized threats, and blackmail all point to an attempt to intimidate, silence, and influence journalistic content. The fact that the perpetrator was identified, is a significant precedent: online crimes can be investigated even in the temporarily occupied territory. This also highlights the importance of documenting incidents and working closely with NGOs and law enforcement,” says Liza Kuzmenko, Head of Women in Media.
Recently, Women in Media NGO has launched a platform to document cases of online violence against Ukrainian journalists targeted for their professional activities. From now on, the interactive map allows users to track and analyze such attacks, helping to assess the scale of the problem and work toward its resolution.
If you, as a journalist, have been subjected to an online attack or witnessed such an incident, your information is extremely important. Report the case to help us identify threats and protect women’s rights in the media. Fill out the form, share key details, and participate in creating a more secure information environment.
If you have experienced an online attack and need support, we are ready to help. Get free cybersecurity advice, psychological support, legal aid, or other necessary assistance on request. Do not hesitate to contact us at ngo.womeninmedia@gmail.com
One recent study that sheds light on the scale and nature of the problem is Her Voice, Their Target: Gendered Online Violence Against Ukrainian Women Journalists. Conducted by Women in Media in partnership with UNESCO and supported by Japan, the research found that 81% of respondents (out of 180 women media workers) had experienced some form of online violence.
This initiative is supported by the Dutch Foreign Ministry as part of the project “Strengthening the Resilience of Women Journalists in Ukraine: Combating Online Violence and Gendered Disinformation,” implemented by the Women in Media NGO.