PF Lat Am Digital Harass
Metadata
- PF Lat Am Digital Harass
- February 15, 2024
- Content Type Package
- Language English
- Transcript/Script ((PLAYBOOK SLUG: TV PF Lat Am Digital Harass HEAD: For Female Journalists Attacks Online and Offline Are Common Threat TEASER: For Venezuelan sports journalist Mari Montes, online attacks turned into physical threats to her and her children PUBLISHED AT: 02/15/2024 at 8:40AM BYLINE: Júlia Riera CONTRIBUTOR: Júlia Riera DATELINE: Washington VIDEOGRAPHER: Júlia Riera TRANSLATOR/VIDEO EDITOR: Veronica Villafañe VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, PLATFORMS: (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __ SCRIPT EDITORS: JJ, MAS TRT: 3:17 VID APPROVED BY: MAS UPDATE: For VOA Press Freedom. Questions/review Jessica Jerreat, Veronica Villafañe)) ((INTRO)) Venezuelan sports journalist Mari Montes endured years of online abuse directed at her and her family. Analysts say digital attacks are frequently used to try to discredit and silence female journalists. For VOA, Júlia Riera has the story.)) ((NAT in Spanish: Mari Montes looking at phone: Saying in Spanish: Here one of his followers posts a photo of my son. “Aquí uno de sus seguidores usa una fotografía de mi hijo” )) ((NARRATION)) For Mari Montes, a photo of her son posted next to a nasty message crossed the line – the work of an online attacker. ((For Radio: The journalist says it is part of harassment campaign meant to discredit her. Everything the attacker said was overtly misogynistic, Montes says, affecting her, her reputation and her my family.)) ((Mari Montes, Journalist ((Female in Spanish)) "It's a harassment campaign meant to discredit me... Everything he said is overtly misogynistic. Of course this affects me, it affects my reputation, it affects my family." ((NARRATION)) ((Courtesy: Mari Montes)) The Miami-based journalist says she’s faced offensive threats and messages from a stalker and his followers via social media since 2018. ((Courtesy: Mari Montes)) They tried to discredit her work as a sports journalist at first, but Montes says the online attacks grew more frequent and intense and eventually included physical threats. ((end courtesy)) The journalist says followers of the stalker, who is in Venezuela, took photos of Montes and her family in Miami. The stalker then shared them on social media. ((For radio: Montes says the messages would say women can’t talk about baseball and that she knows nothing about the sport. The journalist says she has nothing to prove when it comes to her baseball knowledge, but the personal attacks on her reputation, marriage and children is another matter.)) ((Mari Montes, Journalist ((Female in Spanish)) “They would say that women can’t talk about baseball, that I don’t know anything about it. I have nothing to prove regarding my knowledge of baseball, but the personal attacks on my reputation, my marriage, my children...that's another thing." ((NARRATION)) ((Credit Courtesy Mari Montes)) Montes alerted U.S. authorities, but because her aggressor is outside the country, there’s little they can do. Her case is not an isolated experience. A joint study by the International Center for Journalists or ICFJ and UNESCO found 73 percent of the female journalists surveyed experienced online violence. ((Mandatory Zoom courtesy)) Nabeelah Shabbir is one of the study’s researchers. ((Nabeelah Shabbir, International Center for Journalists)) ((Female in English)) ((Mandatory: Zoom)) “Voices are being chilled of key women journalists who are trying to just simply do their work.” ((NARRATION)) Online abuse and threats can take a psychological toll and lead to self-censorship on critical issues, say experts. ((For radio Mariana Belloso is a Salvadorian journalist. She says some of her female colleagues stop posting on social media or even leave journalism because of the attacks. Ultimately, the goal is to intimidate and silence journalists, she says.)) ((Mariana Belloso, Journalist)) ((Female in Spanish)) "Female colleagues have stopped posting on social media, and some have even left journalism because of these attacks. Ultimately, that's their goal: to intimidate and silence you." ((NARRATION)) And the perpetrators of online harassment come from many sources. ((For radio: Nadine Hoffman is the deputy executive director of the International Women’s Media Foundation.)) ((Nadine Hoffman, International Women’s Media Foundation ((Female in English)) ((Mandatory: Zoom)) “You have governments. You have, you know, sort of authoritarian leaders… Then, you have a number of non-state actors… And then just like the sort of classic you think of like the troll in the basement who is just like out there, taunting people.” ((NARRATION)) ((NAT journalists chanting “freedom” “Freedom”)) Experts say online targeting of journalists is frequent, but female reporters are singled out with more gendered attacks. ((For radio: Again, Hoffman)) ((Nadine Hoffman, International Women’s Media Foundation ((Female in English)) ((Zoom)) “They’re being critiqued for appearance, or they’re being critiqued for lack of intelligence or perceived like something that is specifically tied to the fact that they are women, which makes them, you know, less credible in the eyes of the attacker.” ((NARRATION)) The ICFJ study found one in five female journalists reported being attacked or abused offline in cases that stemmed from earlier online harassment. Experts say measures to protect journalists and to hold those responsible accountable are urgently needed. Until then, groups like the Coalition Against Online Violence offer online tools and support. ((Júlia Riera, VOA News))
- NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date February 15, 2024 08:45 EST
- Byline Julia Riera
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America