A way to silence journalists?Estonian female journalists’ experiences with harassment and self-censorship

Journalists under attack: self-censorship as an unperceived method for avoiding hostility

“…They might have been right… [Female 2] The lack of protection in the newsroom against such attacks was also revealed by a journalist, who said that self-censorship was usually an individual strategy of journalists for protecting themselves because no one else would do it. A similar strategy became evident in a previous study that included female journalists (Ivask, 2020).…”

“…Therefore, we partly rely on Bar-Tal (2017), who emphasizes that self-censorship means withholding information that has a wider societal value; however, when referring to withholding it, we rely on explaining the motivation behind it. According to Gans (1979), self-censorship is a method for preventing the potential reaction from 'non-journalists' (p. 250), including receiving hostility from the sources, audience members, and dealing with litigation (Ivask 2020). We argue, and rely on Gans (1979), that self-censorship can be an unrecognized method for preventing consequences among journalists.…”

“…Journalism studies scholars have done much-appreciated work delving into the causes that lead to self-censoring practices and analyzing the implications self-censorship brings (Fadnes et al, 2020). Intimidation and harassment have shown to have consequences on journalists' autonomy and self-censorship in authoritarian and democratic countries alike, where journalists choose silence over fulfilling the watchdog role (Ivask, 2020;Löfgren Nilsson & Örnebring, 2016;Riives et al, 2021). Additional to physical threats and violence, digital hostility has been revealed as a substantial way of pressurizing journalists (e.g., United Nations, 2021).…”

“You can Run, but You Cannot Hide!” Mapping Journalists’ Experiences With Hostility in Personal, Organizational, and Professional Domains

“…Even so, research has brought out severe issues with hostility (death threats, stalking, receiving ropes for hanging oneself, etc.) among Estonian journalists (Ivask, 2020; Riives et al, 2021). Journalists are aggressively approached at protests, threatened, and forced to leave (Eesmaa & Mooste, 2022).…”

“…The reactions to hostility also include offline coping or prevention strategies. For example, journalists seek social support (discussions with senior colleagues, friends, and family), visit places that are perceived to be safe, avoid areas with previous safety concerns, self-censor (avoid controversial sources and issues that will expose journalists to unwanted danger), and even consider leaving journalism (Chinweobo-Onuoha et al, 2022; Ivask et al, 2017; Larsen et al, 2021; Miller, 2021). Some strategies include using pseudonyms for work and personal life (Lewis et al, 2020).…”