Comenius

Safety of journalists and media actors

Introduction

As we have already seen in the previous knowledge packages, journalists and media actors play a tremendously important role in our democratic society. Without their contributions to the free flow of information, a plurality of voices is silenced and public debate is disrupted. For democracy to flourish, the public must be informed about matters of public interest, which leads to informed opinions and debate, and ideally, informed decision-making. Although journalists and media actors play a highly important role in our democratic societies, their safety cannot be taken for granted. Journalists and media actors are often attacked in various ways, including online. Women journalists and media actors who are members of minority and/or marginalised communities in society even face a double burden as aggressors often target them not only on account of their profession, but due to their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or a combination of (other) intersectional factors.

In this knowledge package, you will learn more about the different forms of threats, harassment and attacks, and the possible consequences for individual journalists and media freedom.

Intended learning outcomes

After studying the materials in this knowledge package, you should be able to:

  • Explain how and to what extent journalists and media actors face threats, harassment and violence;
  • Explain the role of the climate of impunity in the ongoing attacks on journalists;
  • Identify the key elements of the European legal framework protecting journalists and media actors;
  • Assess the range of harmful effects of attacks on journalists and the broader consequences for society when media freedom is under pressure;
  • Explain the different forms and underlying causes of gender-based attacks aimed at women journalists and media actors who are members of minority and/or marginalised communities;
  • Discuss how to develop possible solutions for threats, harassment and violence against journalists and media actors.

Contents and structure

This knowledge package starts with a blogpost that provides a general introduction to the topic of threats, harassment and violence targeting journalists and the European legal framework protecting journalists and their (online) safety. In addition, you will learn about the scale and severity of threats, harassment and attacks against journalists and media actors. The blogpost also explains how the climate of impunity sustains attacks on journalists.

The infographic sets out the wide range of problematic effects of threats, harassment and violence against journalists and media actors. These attacks impact journalists and media actors themselves, but they also have severe consequences for society as a whole. For instance, the attacks can cause a decrease in reporting on topics of public interest. This complicates the media’s task to inform the public, which has the right to receive information and ideas on matters of public interest.

The video focuses on threats that specifically target women journalists and media actors who identify as members of minority and/or marginalised communities. These journalists and media actors may face multiple and intersectional forms of aggression due to e.g., their gender, ethnicity, religion and/or sexual orientation. The complex combination of these multiple factors requires a tailored and intersectional approach and effective measures of prevention and protection.

The workbook contains various questions to help you check whether you have understood the key concepts, principles and theories set out in this knowledge package. You can use the exercises to engage more actively with the subject matter.

In the reading list, you will find a selection of studies, articles and other resources – mostly open access – that may be useful to learn more about one or more of the topics covered that have sparked your interest.