An Alarming Reality
A recent report by the Mèdia.cat observatory reveals a worrying figure: more than half of female journalists have been victims of sexist harassment during their career. Specifically, 54.4% have experienced sexual harassment, while 55.1% have suffered gender discrimination. This research, led by Meritxell Rigol, highlights the seriousness of the situation in the Catalan media.
Impact of Gender Violence
The study, entitled ‘Machismo violence against journalists’, analyses the experiences of 136 women in the sector. The results highlight a variety of violence with different degrees of intensity, which manifest themselves in various professional contexts. Furthermore, it reveals an environment that normalises and minimises these aggressions, as well as the ineffectiveness of existing protocols to deal with harassment.
Inadequate Support and Hostile Reactions
Among the female journalists who have suffered harassment, 71.6% have shared it with people in their close circle, but only 3.7% have communicated it to those responsible for their media’s harassment protocol. Alarmingly, in 39% of cases, they have not received support, and have even faced hostile reactions from their colleagues.
Digital Harassment: A New Front
The digital world does not escape this dynamic. Approximately 30.9% of respondents have been the subject of online harassment, with flirtatious messages and offensive comments being the most common forms of aggression. These experiences underscore the need to address bullying in all areas of professional life.
Barriers to reporting
Women journalists face multiple obstacles when considering reporting cases of harassment. The normalization of such violence (67.1%) and the feeling of impunity for aggressors (57.5%) are the most frequent barriers. In addition, the fear of being questioned or not being believed (54.8%) discourages them from filing complaints.
A Gap in Prevention
The Mèdia.cat report also highlights a serious lack of knowledge about protocols for preventing gender-based violence: 41.9% of journalists do not know if mechanisms exist in their media, while 22.8% say there are none. Only 25% feel sure about who to contact to make complaints.
Everyday Masculinity in the Sector
Beyond harassment, female journalists constantly experience various forms of sexism in their work. These include the use of sexist humor, condescension and infantilization, as well as ignorance of their contributions. 81.6% recognize that there are obstacles to accessing positions of responsibility within the sector.
Proposals for Change
To improve the situation, many journalists are proposing reforms such as transforming media leadership, improving working conditions, and promoting diversity. These measures could help denormalize gender-based violence and foster a safer and more egalitarian work environment.
