The research was conducted by the Women in Media as part of a project in partnership with UNESCO and with the support of Japan. The choice and presentation of facts in this publication is the responsibility of the authors. The views expressed herein belong solely to the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of UNESCO or Japan.
NB: This document contains material that shows the seriousness of online violence against women journalists, including references to sexual assault and abusive language. This content is important for understanding the types, methods, and patterns of such violence.
The study consists of the following chapters:
Chapter 1. Findings Of The Survey On The Challenges Of Online Violence For Ukrainian Women Media Workers.
- Section 1. Respondent profile: whose experience is reflected in this study?
- Section 2. Experiences related to online violence against women journalists
- Section 3. Consequences of online violence and possible means of defense
- Section 4. Survey findings.
Chapter 2. Case Studies
- Case 1. Online defamation as a tool of pressure on a media worker through her family.
- Case 2. Sexism and misogyny against women journalists in response to an investigation.
- Case 3. Death threats and sexualized harassment of women war correspondents.
- Case 4. Doxing as a tool of pressure on a woman journalist.
- Case 5. Online impersonation, harassment and defamation.
- Case 6. From online stalking to real life harassment.
Chapter 3. How to Overcome Online Violence Against Women Journalists: The Ukrainian Legislative Framework
Chapter 4. Recommendations On Responding To Online Violence Against Women Journalists In Ukraine
Key Findings:
The survey showed that most women journalists who participated in it had encountered various types of online violence. These attacks were directed both at the journalists personally and at their media outlets, and most often lasted for one week.
The intensity of online violence depended on the profile of the topic covered by the media outlet or the journalist, as well as the journalist’s visibility. Survey participants noted that the more public and active a media worker is online, the greater the risk that she may be targeted by online attacks. Thus, this creates a threatening situation with possible conscious or unconscious self-censorship or even abandonment of the profession.
This makes it particularly important to recognize online violence and find the most effective means to combat it. One of the unexpected survey findings is that not all women media workers who have experienced online violence can identify it. Thus, in addition to psychological and legal aid and community support, it is important to raise awareness of online violence and its manifestations and develop practical guidelines or recommendations for protection based on effective examples.
“No journalist is safe from such violence.”
“I feel like the more visible a journalist is on social media and in her media outlet, the greater the risk, unfortunately, to be a constant target of violence online.”
“Online violence becomes a form of negative audience reaction when the information provided by the media does not meet people’s expectations.”
“They steal our identities, break our pages and passwords, set our doors on fire, throw stones with threatening messages at our windows. But it won’t stop me, though my mom is very worried that I may end up like Gongadze”.
* from the responses of survey participants
- 81% of survey participants (out of a total of 180 women media workers) experienced some type of online violence.
- Most often, the attacks lasted for a week. However, long-lasting online violence, for a month or over a year, was also quite common.
- Online violence usually targeted simultaneously the media worker and the media outlet itself.
- Among the most common consequences of these attacks, women media workers most frequently report a deterioration in their psychological wellbeing and mental health. The second most common consequence is reduced work capacity, and the third one is self-censorship regarding certain topics. The risk of self-censorship due to gendered attacks can have particularly severe consequences in Ukraine, where the vast majority of journalists are women. In this context, gendered self-censorship creates a profoundly chilling effect, further exacerbated by the ongoing war, where the public relies heavily on accurate information and facts.
- Among those who have experienced online violence, only 64% clearly recognize it.
- 14% of respondents who had experienced online violence reported that threats to them had moved from the digital space to the physical world.
- Women journalists approached law enforcement for help only in 19% of cases.
- The most common forms of online violence against Ukrainian women media workers include misogynistic and sexist speech (words like “journawhore”), as well as defamation aimed at harming the journalist’s professional reputation (e.g., a false image of a “pro-Russian journalist”).
- Respondents also experienced gender-based trolling (32%), disinformation (27%), cyberstalking (22%), doxing (18%), threats of sexual violence (16%), impersonation (14%), attacks on family members (14%), image distortion (12%), and sextortion / revenge porn (6%), which significantly affected their safety and mental wellbeing.
- Media workers usually reported instances of online violence to their colleagues, expecting solidarity and community support in such cases.
- The next most common measures of response are legal, psychological, and educational support.
- Respondents identified a need for additional awareness-raising initiatives about online violence and ways to combat it.
- Almost one in five women journalists targeted by online violence turned to the police or other law enforcement agencies. However, the respondents reported that there was no subsequent investigation or punishment of perpetrators.
- Case studies have shown that online violence against Ukrainian women journalists can take many forms: online defamation, often affecting family members; sexism and misogyny, especially in response to journalistic investigations; death threats and sexualized harassment, often directed against war correspondents; doxing and identity theft (online impersonation), as well as online stalking that escalates into real-life stalking.
- The low number of convictions in cases concerning cyberviolence against women, particularly women journalists, cannot be put down solely to the lack of legislative protection. Many survivors fear condemnation and victimization, and therefore, they do not seek help or report facts of violence.