"This second volume focuses on primary trauma experienced by journalists, with a particular focus on the gendered dimensions, as shared by female journalists and researchers. By focusing on female journalists’ firsthand encounters, the book explores the complex psychological, emotional, and profes
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sional challenges they face both inside and outside the newsroom. The chapters deal with specific issues relating to sexual harassment, online threats, risks and vulnerabilities, and physical and psychological violence experienced by journalists in various sub-Saharan African countries. In addition, the book explores the coping mechanisms employed by journalists in the field; thereby contributing to ongoing discussion on how to support media professionals navigating challenging newsrooms and journalistic roles in Africa and beyond. Chikezie E. Uzuegbunam is Deputy Head of School for Teaching and Research, senior lecturer in Media Studies, and Master’s programme coordinator in the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University, South Africa. His latest book is Children and Young People’s Digital Lifeworlds: Domestication, Mediation, and Agency published in 2024 by Palgrave Macmillan under the book series of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR). Kealeboga Aiseng is a senior lecturer in the Department of Media Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. His books include Sociolinguistics of South African Television: Language Ideologies in Selected Case Studies, Political Economy of African Popular Culture: Political Interplay (co-edited), Public Health Communication Challenges to Minority and Indigenous Communities (co-edited), and Social Media and Gender in Africa: Discourses and Politics of Everyday Life (co-edited)." (Publisher description)
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"Following the conservative Turkish government’s political-economic capture of the news media, educated and pro-feminist women journalists have migrated online. Despite having more publicity across platforms, they face immediate prosecution based on the tweet of an anonymous troll, an informant ci
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tizen or a government official. While this is a common case of networked misogyny, inspired by Liz Kelly’s concept of the continuum of sexual violence, we argue that networked misogyny against women journalists is not simply technological but rather both interconnected across different spaces (online manosphere, masculine newsrooms, and authoritarian state) and intersectional feeding from nationalism, class, and anti-Western sentiments. This intersectionality renders networked misogyny against Turkey’s journalists different from liberal contexts because it operates not through illegality but suspicion (of terrorism, treason). Our focus on interconnections and intersectionality allows for theorizing networked misogyny beyond the digital, genders current perspectives on authoritarianism and reframes networked misogyny as a violent war targeting women’s intellectual labor and public visibility, both significant threats to authoritarian regimes across the globe. The interconnected and intersectional stories of networked misogyny from Turkey point to how fighting against this form of violence is also a fight against the post-truth regimes of authoritarianism and fight for democracy." (Abstract)
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"This chapter examines the digital surveillance and harassment experiences faced by female journalists in Zimbabwe in the 2023 pre-election period covering the year 2022 up to August 2023. The examination is based on interviews conducted with seven purposefully selected female reporters and editors
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in Zimbabwe. It suggests that within our information-driven society, both personal data and physical bodies are subject to surveillance; for female journalists in particular, this surveillance materialises as instances of harassment occurring both online and offline, including within newsroom settings. Evidence shows that there is both the physical and psychological intimidation of female journalists and periods of political unrests are particularly unsettling. Female journalists are subject to unique forms of hostility absent in their male counterparts’ experiences. To cope the journalists, adopt various survival strategies, from cyber defence techniques and keeping a low online profile to outright evasion or extreme cases of leaving the country. The female journalists advocate for thorough protection measures, including legal reforms, strict penalties, and holding online platforms accountable. They emphasise the importance of mental health support, training, and guidance from media organizations, in addition to institutional and legislative action. The chapter employs a feminist perspective to highlight the importance of power dynamics in surveillance. Feminist politics within media call for women not only to be visible but also heard, which can only occur if they have representation in decision-making processes that shape news coverage and can write stories without fearing harassment. Drawing inspiration from the Panopticon theory of surveillance, this chapter explores the idea that individuals may be monitored without their awareness. With this framework in mind, three key questions are addressed: Did journalists experience any form of digital or physical surveillance? Were they subjected to any type of harassment stemming from such monitoring? And did they receive support from media organizations during these incidents?" (Abstract)
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"This book presents a new paradigm for attending to gender-based violence (GBV) social media discourse among marginalised black women in South Africa. Focusing on the intersections of television and social media, the study charts the morphing and merging of the "inside" of the soap opera and the "ou
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tside" of the real world, amid a rise in feminist social media activism. The analysis begins with coverage of gender-based violence in a long-running South African soap opera and social media discussion of these issues, in parallel with real world events and the collective social media response. The author offers pertinent insights into audiences in sub-Saharan Africa, presenting a new feminist trajectory for women and activism in the region." (Publisher description)
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"Drawing from case studies from selected African countries, an international team of authors offer a broad insight into the state of harassment across the continent, while building new theoretical perspectives that are also context-specific. The chapters bring previous theories and research up to da
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te by addressing the continual change and development of new discourses, including the use of big data and artificial intelligence in harassing and intimidating journalists and mental health issues affecting journalists in their line of duty. More so, the authors argue that the state and form of harassment is not universal, as location and context are some of the key factors that influence the form and character of harassment." (Publisher description)
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"Digital tools, such as safety apps, reporting portals, and chatbots, are increasingly being used by victim-survivors of gender-based violence to report unlawful activity and access specialized support and information. Despite their limitations, these interventions offer a range of potential benefit
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s, such as enhancing decisional certainty, promoting safety behaviors, and fostering positive psychological outcomes. In this paper, we introduce an innovative ‘design justice’ approach to the development of digital tools for addressing genderbased violence. Drawing on our experience of building a feminist chatbot focused on image-based sexual abuse, we argue that the integration of feminist principles throughout the design, content, and evaluation stages is crucial for mitigating the risk of harm and promoting positive outcomes. Our theory-informed and practice-led approach can help to guide the development of other digital tools for addressing gender-based violence. Nonetheless, more scholarly research is needed to investigate the use, efficacy, and impacts of such interventions, at the core of which should be interdisciplinary collaboration between subject matter experts, victimsurvivors, technical specialists, and other key stakeholders." (Abstract)
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"Sections of the book engage in critical reflection on what peacebuilding effectiveness is and who gets to decide, provide practical examples and case studies of the successes and failures of assessing peacebuilding work, and support innovative strategies and tools to move the field forward. Chapter
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s reflect a variety of perspectives on peacebuilding effectiveness and methods—quantitative, qualitative, and participatory—to evaluate peacebuilding efforts, with particular attention to approaches that center those local to the peacebuilding process. Practitioners and policymakers alike will find useful arguments and approaches for evaluating peacebuilding activities and making the case for funding such efforts." (Publisher description)
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"The abuse and harassment against women journalists has become increasingly frequent and more coordinated in Mexico. As demonstrated throughout this study, it aims to threaten, silence, and stigmatize women journalists, with the potential to keep them out of public spaces. Despite the importance of
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selfcare actions and collective care, State responsibility in Mexico and its institutions at national and local levels to guarantee journalistic work that is free of violence is vital for any democracy. Currently, there are no public policies based on an intersectional approach that would allow a proper and relevant response to the patterns of violence against women journalists. The shortsightedness with which institutional responses have been developed has failed to generate protections or reparation. It has not managed to change the context of violence to which women journalists are subjected, nor modify the structural inequality between men and women. Moreover, the levels of impunity in the country still lead to violence materializing into crime. The recommendations of this paper seek to share the best practices from civil society groups and networks working to enhance existing protocols while defending women journalist´s freedom of expression and freedom of the press." (Conclusions)
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"Gewalt im Kontext von Geschlechtszugehörigkeit ist seit jeher trauriger Alltag. Wie wurden und werden Gewalttaten konstruiert und wer verübt sie in welcher Form? Diesen und vielen weiteren Fragen gehen die Beiträger*innen aus einem transdisziplinären Blickwinkel über einen Zeitraum von sechs J
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ahrhunderten nach. Dabei nehmen sie die Verschränkungen von Geschlecht und Gewalt multiperspektivisch in den Blick und decken in unterschiedlichen Räumen und Zeiten eine große Bandbreite an Kontexten, Formen, Praktiken und Wahrnehmungen von Gewalt auf. Ihre Analysen provozieren den historischen Vergleich und fragen nach Kontinuitäten bis in die Gegenwart, aber auch nach Brüchen, Widersprüchen und Gleichzeitigkeiten." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"In this ground-breaking volume, the authors explore two sides of religion: the ways in which it contributes to violence against women and girls (VAWG) and the ways it counters it. Recognising the very real impact of religion on the lives of women and girls, it prioritises experiences and learnings
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from empirical research and of practitioners, and their activities at grassroots-level, to better understand the nature and root causes of VAWG. Drawing on research done in Christian and Muslim communities in various fragile settings with high religiosity, this book avoids simplistically assigning blame to any one religion, instead engaging with the commonalities of how religion and religious actors influence norms and behaviours that impact VAWG. If the sustainable development goal of ending all forms of VAWG is to be achieved, how should actors in the international development sector engage with religion and religious actors? This book unpacks the nature of religion and religious actors in relation to VAWG, with the aim of giving greater clarity on how to (and how not to) engage with this crucial issue." (Publisher description)
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"Insgesamt zeigt sich sowohl in der internationalen als auch in der deutschen Berichterstattung über Gewalt gegen Frauen ein recht einheitliches Bild. Gewalt gegen Frauen muss besonders brutal sein, um die Schwelle der medialen Berichterstattung zu überschreiten. Dies gilt insbesondere für Gewalt
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in Paarbeziehungen. Dass in den Medien vor allem über Tötungsdelikte an Frauen berichtet wird, kann auf den ersten Blick als Sensibilisierung für Femizide verstanden werden. Tatsächlich wird eine solche Sensibilisierung durch die Berichterstattung aber nur dann erreicht, wenn Femizide auch als solche eingeordnet werden. Eine entsprechende Einordnung findet jedoch in den meisten Fällen nicht statt: Die mediale Berichterstattung erfolgt überwiegend in Form von Einzelfallberichten, ohne Bezugnahme auf das Ausmaß von Gewalt gegen Frauen oder eine Einordnung durch Expertinnen und Experten. Geschlechtsspezifische Gewalt gegen Frauen als strukturelles Problem wird vor allem dann thematisiert, wenn es einen aktuellen Anlass gibt, wie zum Beispiel die jährliche Veröffentlichung der Polizeilichen Kriminalstatistik zu Gewalt in Paarbeziehungen. Obwohl die überproportionale Fokussierung auf Tötungsdelikte der allgemeinen Medienlogik entspricht, erscheint sie im Kontext von Gewalt gegen Frauen besonders problematisch. Studien zu Gewalt in Paarbeziehungen zeigen, dass eine Tötungshandlung häufig nicht spontan erfolgt, sondern der letzte Schritt in einer langen Geschichte von Zwangskontrolle und Gewalt ist. Diese Eskalation verläuft häufig nach ähnlichen Mustern. Mediale Berichterstattung, die sich nur auf diesen letzten, irreversiblen Akt konzentriert, verdeckt, dass Tötungsdelikten in Paarbeziehungen in der Regel viele alltäglichere und weniger drastische Formen von Gewalt vorausgehen." (Fazit)
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"During the past two decades, numerous investigative journalist networks have emerged globally, through which journalists from different places and cultures collaborate. In this article, we focus specifically on the experiences of female investigative journalists and the ways in which they navigate
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challenges of intimidation, threats, and violence and adapt to stay safe and prosper in their practice. Our research is based on interviews with experienced and renowned investigative reporters, or so-called elite interviewees (Figenschou 2010), who have worked on transnational collaborations such as the Panama Papers, the Organized Crime and Corruption Project (OCCRP), and the Forbidden Stories. We interviewed eleven female and four male investigative reporters within these networks, some of them twice, over a two-year period. The study findings show that while the cross-cultural environments of these networks can open doors and be beneficial to female journalists in cultures where women otherwise have limited professional leeway, these journalists must still manage a range of detrimental local conditions on the ground. When confronting globalized structures of crime and power through their collaborative and cross-cultural work, female journalists can face social and professional slander and physical and verbal attacks in return. The exchange of coping strategies within professional networks and collaborations will help to mitigate local challenges on the ground and sustain women's participation in professional journalism." (Abstract)
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"This volume presents case studies of news media employing and integrating social media into their news production practices. It links social media use to journalistic practices and news production processes in the digital age of the Global South. Critically, the chapters look at seminal cases of st
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art-up news media whose content is informed by trends in social media, ethical considerations and participatory cultures spurred by the wide use of social media. There has been considerable research looking at the potential of new media technologies, traditional journalism and citizen reporting. The extent to which these new media technologies and 'citizen journalism' have morphed or reconfigured traditional journalism practice remains debatable. Currently, there are questions around the limits of social media in journalism practice as the ethical lines continue to become blurred. It is this conundrum of the role of social media in the reconfiguration of the media, news making, production and participatory cultures that requires more investigation. Social media has also turned the logic of the political economy of media production on its head as citizens can now produce, package and distribute news and information with shoestring budgets and in authoritarian regimes with no license of practice. This new political economy means the power that special interest groups used to enjoy is increasingly slipping from their hands as citizens take back the power to appropriate social media journalism to counter hegemonic narratives. Citizens can also perform journalistic roles of investigating and whistleblowing but with a lack off, or limited, regulation." (Publisher description)
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"Monitoring data indicate that in 2021 there were a total of 119 attacks against women journalists and/or gender attacks involving media professionals. Hence, it means that, on average, an attack occurred every three days. A striking aspect is the importance of gender: among the 119 cases, 38% were
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classified as gender attacks. These records mainly included attacks on the morals and reputation of female journalists (32 cases) and homophobic (8) and transphobic (1) attacks. There were also two cases of physical violence against women journalists and two online attacks motivated by gender-related news coverage. The appeal to gender and sexuality is not incidental: in societies with conservative values, this type of attack is a way of undermining the credibility of professional journalism and diverting attention from the news content. Instead of discussing the reported facts, the journalist’s legitimacy and authority to investigate and disseminate stories are discussed. In fact, it is no coincidence that the terms most used in insults to professionals refer to gender aspects – slut, whore, gossipy – and supposed ideological biases of journalists – militant, leftist, and communist, among others." (Executive summary)
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"This document is the second of a set of three practical guidelines that provide recommendations for considering an intersectional gender approach when: monitoring and documenting attacks against journalists and social communicators (Guideline 1); advocating on emblematic cases for advocacy (Guideli
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ne 2); and organising protection training (this guideline)." (About these guidelines)
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"This document is the second of a set of three practical guidelines that provide recommendations for considering an intersectional gender approach when: monitoring and documenting attacks against journalists and social communicators (Guideline 1); advocating on emblematic cases for advocacy (this Gu
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ideline); and organising protection training (Guideline 3)." (About these guidelines)
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