The videos focus on legal remedies to fight online harassment and how journalists can protect themselves from emotional trauma.
This statement was originally published on ipi.media on 27 January 2020.
The International Press Institute (IPI) has launched two new video series providing support to journalists targeted by online harassment and attacks.
The first series, produced in cooperation with the Dart Centre Europe, describes measures that both newsrooms and journalists can take to prevent or minimize the emotional stress and trauma that online harassment can create. These measures include strategies to implement peer-support networks, reduce moderators’ exposure to violent content and devise a self-care plan for journalists, among other remedies.
The second series, produced in cooperation with the Digital Freedom Fund, highlights existing legal remedies to fight online harassment. The videos highlight not only the types of laws that may be used to defend targets of online harassment, but also the pitfalls and unintended consequences that legal action itself can entail.
Both videos series form part of IPI’s recently launched Newsroom Ontheline platform, which offers tools and recommendations to help journalists and newsrooms develop defences against online harassment.
Since 2014, the International Press Institute (IPI) has been systematically researching online harassment as a new form of silencing critical, independent media. Our work has unveiled patterns of online attacks, analysed the emotional and professional impact on journalists, and collected best practices for newsrooms to address the phenomenon.
