SAFETY


04 Journalists’ safety


Bea Bennet, NUJ senior campaigns and communications officer, updates on the union’s journalists’ safety tracker launching this autumn.


incidents of violence and harassment against journalists.


J Te first of its kind in the UK and


Ireland, the initiative has been developed over several months and presents an opportunity to capture crucial data into the types of atacks experienced by journalists both in- person and online. Te union is encouraging all members to engage with the project upon its launch, sharing experiences and urging colleagues to do so too,


ournalists’ safety remains a year-round priority for the NUJ and in coming weeks, the union will launch a reporting tool capturing


to help inform how best the NUJ can provide support and encourage action from other bodies. Our membership survey findings


have shown women journalists, those from LGBT+ communities and minority ethnic groups oſten face disproportionate and targeted atacks, so building on this evidence base as well as others more widely, is an important part of the NUJ’s work.


With the rise of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) - deliberate and targeted lawfare against journalists - the NUJ has included a reporting section in the tracker on legal proceedings;


seeking insight into journalists’ experiences receiving pre-action legal threats and emails and whether these were issued under the suspected direction of a politician, oligarch or other individual. We know from engagement with members that the harm caused by SLAPPs oſten occurs before any legal proceedings are brought, as the threat of financial ruin can cause an intended chilling effect. However, seeing an end to the atacks against our members requires far more than evidence from journalists themselves and Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ General Secretary, has continued her calls to government for strengthened backing on the issue. Last month, at a meeting with


Stephanie Peacock, Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth, Stanistreet updated on the work of the union including the unacceptable harassment reported by journalists covering far-right riots in the summer. She also stressed that more action was required from government in urging tech giants to ensure processes on platforms are robust enough to protect journalists online.


Also remember the NUJ’s Journalists’ Safety Toolkit launched in 2022 and is accessible on-the-go, including on offline mobile devices, and has a wealth of information on cyber security, workplace safety and more.


Mat Kenyon


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8