Five journalism organisations from four countries — Zavod KROG from Slovenia and the Slovenian Association of Journalists, the Croatian Journalists’ Trade Union, the United Branch Trade Unions “Nezavisnost” from Serbia, and Mediacentar Sarajevo — have joined forces through the European Union-funded project Women in the Media to tackle violence against women in journalism. Their research showed that four out of five, or 78 per cent, of surveyed women media workers — more than 600 in total — had experienced gender-based violence or harassment, and that media newsrooms, both in EU and non-EU countries, do not have internal acts as protection mechanisms.
“The research showed that the perpetrators of inappropriate jokes, comments about appearance and sexuality, and sexual assaults are most often found within the very newsrooms where the victims work. These are people who make decisions about their jobs and salaries,” explains Emil Čančar from the Croatian Journalists’ Trade Union.
The Mediacentar Foundation from Sarajevo was responsible for the research, methodology and writing.
“The aim was to include around 10% of the estimated population of women journalists in each country, while ensuring representation of women from different generations, geographical areas, types of media and positions within newsrooms. That goal was achieved, and these are highly sensitive experiences, often linked to fear, distrust in institutions and professional consequences,” says Selma Zulić from Mediacentar. She emphasises that the willingness of a large number of women journalists to participate demonstrated how important systematic and safe documentation of experiences is, and that many journalists from older generations only realised through the survey that they had in fact experienced violence.
The project aims to contribute to reducing sexual harassment of women media workers in the workplace. Over the next two years, the consortium will run a regional awareness-raising campaign and training programmes for journalists, journalism students and media managers.
“Students will become familiar with gender-sensitive professional standards, civil society organisations will gain data, partnerships and advocacy tools to initiate systemic change, while the wider public will benefit from a safer, more ethical and more representative media sector,” says Ivana Petkukjeska from Zavod KROG in Slovenia, the project manager.
The United Branch Trade Unions “Nezavisnost” prepared a Rulebook whose key message is that harassment in newsrooms is not a private issue, a matter of individual resilience or part of professional culture, but rather a question of workplace safety, human dignity and employer responsibility. The Rulebook identifies the forms of abuse women journalists are exposed to — including verbal and digital violence, threats, discreditation campaigns, abuse of hierarchical power, gender-based attacks and violations of labour rights — while also defining training modules and professional guidelines that can be used by both public broadcasters and private media outlets, including in countries that did not participate in the project.
“The Rulebook recognises the specific nature of journalistic work, such as field reporting, public exposure and online attacks. It introduces concrete procedures and defines the obligations of employers, managers, commissioners and employees. In this way, responsibility is shifted from the individual to the organisation, while employee protection becomes part of the newsroom’s editorial and organisational policy. The prohibition of retaliation is particularly important,” says Veljko Milić.
The project partners expect resistance.
“Media management may fear reputational risks if they acknowledge that sexual harassment of women still exists in their newsrooms, or they may simply resist additional obligations,” says Petkukjeska. However, she stresses that women journalists will finally receive tools, procedures and support for recognising, reporting and preventing sexual harassment in the workplace.
The campaign operates in two directions: towards newsrooms under the slogan “NOT in My Newsroom!”, conceived by the late journalist Mila Moralić, and towards the professional and wider interested public with the message “Power Does Not Mean You Can!”.
Maja Sever, President of the European Federation of Journalists, explains that the campaign is aimed at women journalists and women media workers in order to raise awareness that harassment and violence are not isolated incidents or “personal problems”, but rather a widespread and systemic issue faced by many women in the media. The campaign also seeks to empower them to speak openly about their experiences, report violence and support one another, while also addressing perpetrators, abusers, colleagues and superiors.
“It is directed at all those who believe that power gives them the right to harass and abuse female colleagues, as well as those who create an atmosphere of fear, humiliation and discrimination within newsrooms. Such behaviour is not normal, it is not part of the job, nor is it an acceptable internal culture — it is violence for which accountability must exist,” says Sever. She adds that the messengers of the campaign are women journalists themselves, alongside media and human rights experts and public figures whose authority and visibility can help raise awareness of the issue.
All partners agree that the project would not have been possible without EU support.
“EU support transformed what could have been a small national initiative into a regional, systemic effort with long-term impact. It enabled cooperation between four countries, ensured fair remuneration for experts and allowed partners to reach media organisations that otherwise lack resources for gender equality training. Media institutions are more willing to engage when a project is supported by the EU,” says Petkukjeska. She notes that this cooperation has shown the value of having both EU and non-EU partners at the table, as they bring different levels of institutional development, similar types of challenges and diverse approaches to solutions. This research forms part of the European project Women in the Media – Stopping Workplace Violence.
