News

The latest news from the International Center for Journalists.

May
13
2021

UNESCO-ICFJ Study Focuses Global Attention on Online Violence Against Women Journalists

Our new research is drawing much-needed attention to the escalating scourge of online violence against women journalists, as major news outlets across the world report on the findings, and women journalists share details of the abuse they face. ICFJ conducted the study, which was commissioned and published by UNESCO.

April
29
2021

How Disinformation and Hate Fuel Online Attacks Against Women Journalists

Vicious online violence that seeks to silence women journalists and discredit their reporting is a growing problem – and one that is often tied to orchestrated disinformation campaigns, new research shows. Because of their race, sexual orientation and religion, some women face even more frequent and vitriolic attacks.

March
15
2021

Washington Post Cites ICFJ Report in Denouncing “Onslaught of Online Harassment” Against Maria Ressa

The Washington Post editorial board has called the online assault against Filipino-American journalist Maria Ressa “a worldwide warning,” citing a new report from the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) that revealed the intensity and ferocity of online violence directed against her.

December
10
2020

ICFJ-UNESCO Study: Online Violence, Fueled by Disinformation and Political Attacks, Deeply Harms Women Journalists

An alarmingly high number of women journalists are now targets of online attacks associated with orchestrated digital disinformation campaigns. The impacts include self-censorship, retreat from visibility, an increased risk of physical injury, and a serious mental health toll. The main perpetrators? Anonymous trolls and political actors.

November
25
2020

Online Attacks on Women Journalists Leading to ‘Real World’ Violence, New Research Shows

The insidious problem of online violence against women journalists is increasingly spilling offline, with potentially deadly consequences, a new global survey suggests.

September
24
2020

Online Violence: The New Front Line for Women Journalists*


There is a new front line in journalism safety – it is where female journalists sit at the epicentre of risk. The digital, psychological and physical safety threats confronting women in journalism are overlapping, converging and inseparable. Where and when they intersect, they can be terrifying - they are also potentially deadly.