• by Ray Schultz , October 10, 2022

The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF0 has published a guide to protecting reporters from online abuse.

The new offering, “A Guide to Protecting Newsrooms and Journalists Against Online Violence”  includes case studies from six months of work covering a range of newsrooms, from small outlets covering health in South Africa to established independent newsrooms in the United States, the group says. 

“Online violence poses a constant threat to journalists, resulting in serious implications for press freedom, including self-censorship,” the IWMF notes. “This abuse disproportionately affects women and diverse journalists who are often reluctant to speak out for fear of jeopardizing their careers.”

The new guide “details policies and best practices newsrooms can implement to better protect staff members who are targeted simply for doing their jobs,” it adds. 

The guide provides templates in these areas:

The Guide provides these templates:

Staff Survey of Online Violence

Checklist for Protecting Staff Data

Online Violence Risk Assessment

Reporting and Escalation Policy 

Statement of Support and Statement of Clarification

Online Violence Guide for the Newsroom