The Chilling Effect: psychosocial effects of online violence on journalists

Registration to the 22-23 February events is done separately. Please register here

Journalists frequently experience violence and hate speech online in connection to their work. Women journalists in particular are exposed to misogynist, sexist and sexualized online hatred. Surveyed for a UNESCO/ICFJ research project, respondents identified negative mental health impacts as the most frequent consequence of online violence. A number of women journalists interviewed reported suffering from PTSD due to online attacks.

In order to mitigate this, they reported self-censoring online, avoiding covering certain beats or even retreating from the profession altogether. This leads to a lack of diversity in reporting, inhibiting people’s rights to access a pluralist range of content.

Aside from mitigating the spread of harmful content online, psychosocial safety and the effects of trauma on journalists therefore needs to be much more centered when discussing safety of journalists online. The discussion will include experts on psychosocial aspects of safety of journalists, such as psychologists, safety trainers and journalists that have been targeted online.

The objective of the session is to spotlight the potential psychosocial harms caused to (women, as well as other marginalized) journalists if hate speech and disinformation are allowed to proliferate on social media. The session will show the harmful impact on lives of women and other marginalized journalists, the psychological impact on them, but also the threat posed to freedom of expression.

• Elodie Vialle, journalist, fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, online safety specialist
• Javeria Siddique, journalist, photographer and columnist
• Aya Mhanna, psychologist and IREX psychosocial safety trainer
• Ephraim Muchemi, East Africa Deputy Center Manager, SAFE Initiative IREX
• Moderator: Lee Ann Grim, Programme Director, SAFE Initiative, IREX