In-depth new research has laid bare the sad state of journalism in the UK, where a majority of LGBTQ+ journalists face abuse and harassment for just doing their jobs.
The new study, entitled ‘Are media organisations adequately protecting LGBTQ journalists from harassment and abuse?’, was conducted by the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity (LHC) at Birmingham City University.
It explores the abuse and harassment faced by LGBTQ journalists and whether the level of support they are offered by media organisations is ‘sufficient’ to protect them.
Author Finbarr Toesland’s research charted “intermittent and consistent abuse and harassment” against LGBTQ+ journalists in the UK, with 87 per cent of those surveyed not believing enough is being done to tackle the shocking vitriol against queer journos.
The report undertook a survey of 40 LGBTQ+ journalists working in the United Kingdom, as well as one-to-one interviews with six media workers; including LGBTQ+ Journalism Network founder Sophie Perry.
The report found 78 per cent of respondents either agree or strongly agree that it is becoming “more dangerous” to be an LGBTQ journalist in the UK, with the same number believing publishers do not protect their LGBTQ+ staff.
Just over half of those surveyed (58 per cent), said their employer does not recognise specific risks faced by LGBTQ+ face in the current media landscape.
A huge 86 per cent, nearly nine in 10 journalists, said they personally experienced abuse and harassment in their career but, of those surveyed, more than two-thirds (62 per cent) never sought to report it.
Incidents of abuse and harassment cited by those surveyed included in-person abuse, social media trolling, violent comments under stories and death threats.
One participant in the research said they have faced everything from “attacks on my work, being called a ‘groomer’, being told that my work is ‘predatory’/I am a predator, transphobia about people I interview, horrific comments about my personal appearance/physical characteristics/my identity as an LGBTQ+ person.”
Another said they were “approached by a lady in a supermarket who criticised my journalism and called into question my ability.”
Abuse specifically aimed at trans people was also a key feature of the findings, with almost one in four (24 per cent) of respondents saying they have faced transphobic harassment and/or deadnaming (6 per cent).
“Voicing support for trans inclusion almost inevitably leads to harassment and abuse on Twitter.
“I recently left a big media organisation in order to go freelance and I’m now much more cautious about how I use social media,” one person who was surveyed said.
Speaking with the LGBTQ+ Journalism Network about the report, Toesland said he was “surprised” by the lack of research in this area and feels his work is an important stepping stone in addressing the issues raised.
“Without having defined, evidence-based research on this topic, it is hard to convince media executives and organisations on the whole to actually do something about it.
“On a purely cold-hearted basis, there’s a real value in having just numbers on the page.
“We can look at that and go, ‘okay, these are the key points, these are the challenges that need to be addressed, how can I get there?’.”
He added: “Without research like this, the voices of LGBTQ journalists just aren’t really being counted at all.”
The next step for the research, Toesland feels, is to dive more specifically faced by the different groups within the LGBTQ+ community and how different factors play into their experiences of abuse and harassment.
If more specific research is not conducted, the author is concerned people’s true experiences could be “lost in the shuffle: and “painted with too broad a brush”.
LGBTQ+ Journalism Network founder Sophie Perry commended the research but also noted there is much work to do.
She said: “The amount of abuse and harassment LGBTQ+ journalists face for doing their jobs is absolutely abhorrent and something which needs to be tackled head-on. As the research shows, queer journalists have little faith in their publishers protecting them from abuse, with many not even bothering to report it in the first.
“The old-fashioned notion abuse is part-and-parcel of the job is out-of-date. LGBTQ+ journalists should not be expected to lie down and accept trolling, violence and even death threats as normal.
“Publishers have a lot of work to do to create safe and inclusive environments that actively make their staff feel valued and protected. Queer staff clearly do not trust their bosses, so radical change is needed immediately.
“A report like this is vital for understanding the experiences of LGBTQ+ journalists in the UK but as more research comes to light, more questions need answering. The LGBTQ+ Journalism Network welcomes more investigative work in this area.”
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