Harassment affects the work and lives of female journalists

In conflict zones, female journalists are at greater risk of intimidation and threats because of the work they do. The risks range from not being taken seriously to comments like ‘I know where your child goes to school,’ from slut-shaming to sexual assault and rape. Even in ‘safe’ countries, however, female journalists face greater risks than their male colleagues. 

_{Text: Helma Erkelens / Photo: Henk Veenstra}

The Swedish journalist Kim Wall was killed while visiting the inventor Peter Madsen for an interview on his submarine in the Baltic Sea. The NOS reporter Iris de Graaf was forced to step down as a correspondent in Russia due to serious threats. Joanie de Rijke was abducted and raped by the Taliban. Patrícia Campos Mello was subjected to a vicious, sexually explicit smear campaign by Brazilian President Bolsonaro and his supporters. She showed how he manipulated voters with lies and fake news. The list of female journalists who cannot work safely simply because they are women is a long one.

In the arena of power

The problems are rooted in the fact that women are not tolerated within the public arena, which is a strongly male-dominated environment. Female journalists who expose abuses are particularly unwelcome – an unbearable humiliation. These are the conclusions of Sandra Banjac and Marília Gehrke, both lecturers at the Centre for Media and Journalism within the Faculty of Arts. Banjac’s research includes the investigation of how power structures (such as gender and class) influence journalistic work. In her project Forced to Quit, Gehrke focuses on gender-related disinformation, online harassment, fact-checking, and other digital challenges faced by female journalists, politicians, and activists.

‘I know where you live’

Gehrke knows how it feels. As a young journalist in Brazil, she was threatened while reporting on elections in rural areas. She revealed how politicians bypassed villages in the hinterland during their campaigns because they assigned no importance to voters there. ‘The mayor rang me. He didn’t want that to appear in the news. “Who do you think you are, doing this in the town I run?” he asked. “I know where you live; I know where your family lives.” And then, he hung up.’

It’s your own fault

In wartime, the risk of intimidation is much greater – even aside from the shelling and bombing. Banjac explains, ‘War has traditionally been viewed as a masculine domain. In a world like that, women are looked down upon. Your credibility as a serious reporter is at stake, because journalism has traditionally been a male-dominated field, particularly in terms of world politics, war, and the economy. Female reporters must often go to great lengths to prove that they are just as good as – or better than – the men in the profession.’  

Gehrke argues that, in conflict situations where many different interests are at stake and where various factions are fighting each other, it can be particularly difficult for women to gain access to an area or arrange an interview. ‘So, how far can you go? Using your femininity can sometimes help you gain access to areas where women are in a subordinate position, but it can also put you in danger – and then, people will say it was all about sex.’

Vulnerable female fixers

To work as safely as possible in a dangerous area, foreign reporters almost always rely on fixers: local journalists who put them in touch with sources and provide footage and stories, in addition to protecting them and helping them when problems arise. This could put them at risk: they are well known in the community, including amongst the powerful figures in the area.

‘They work for local media outlets, which often have fewer resources and are less able to protect them,’ explains Banjac. ‘A journalist working for a major international media group can rely on a protective structure. She can consult with the editorial team to decide on the best course of action; she can seek assistance; there are rules and procedures in place to protect sources.’ It goes without saying that female fixers are at greater risk than men are.

Freelance journalists also lack a protective structure. ‘Although there are obviously organizations that can help, you’re left on your own in a threatening situation. Who can you ring? People are quick to ask, “Why on earth were you there? What were you doing there?” Blaming the victim is a tactic that is all too familiar to us, as women.’

Patriarchal editorial teams close to home

Even editorial teams, which are supposed to support female journalists, do not always provide a safe environment. There are sometimes instances of harassment – including sexual harassment – by colleagues and supervisors. Banjac lists examples from her research, ‘Advice suggesting that you need to lose weight, wear different clothes, or go to the hairdresser.’

Intimidation can also be based on content: ‘People working in a war zone often feel an emotional connection to the people there. The editorial team at home is quick to view such reports as less reliable and not objective. Research has indicated that people are more likely to reach such conclusions about women anyway. That kind of criticism makes it difficult to do your job,’ notes Banjac. The old stereotype that women are too emotional – and therefore unable to cope with facts – has yet to be dispelled.

Collective responsibility

‘The world should be a safe place for everyone,’ asserts Gehrke. ‘If you continue to regard violence against women as their own individual problem, you are shirking your responsibility. That could change if we realize that women’s safety is society’s responsibility. It’s not right that, as a female journalist, you have to think, “Perhaps I’ll be safe if I cover my whole body in black clothing,” or “Perhaps I shouldn’t get into that man’s car.” And if things go wrong, blame her. This could ultimately lead to self-censorship – or even leaving the profession.’

Courage

Some journalists write about their own experiences or collaborate in academic research on gender issues, as in the work of Banjac and Gehrke. ‘I admire all the journalists who have shared intimate, vulnerable information with me about the risks they have faced,’ states Banjac. ‘If the world knows about it, things might change.’

It’s about more than just gender

They have a follow-up question. Banjac continues, ‘In our research, we look beyond simply being a woman. Gender, family background, socio-economic status, skin colour, nationality – it all plays a part. A female journalist from the US is treated differently from a female journalist from Eastern Europe. ‘A Black female journalist has a different experience in a conflict zone than a white one does.’

To learn more about women who have stepped out of the limelight due to threats, visit Forced to Quit.