The University of Liverpool has joined a global network of organisations involved in finding better solutions for women journalists facing online abuse, harassment and other forms of digital attack in recognition of the Department of Communication and Media’s leading research.
Founded by the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF), the Coalition Against Online Violence offers journalists collective support, bolstering their digital security and empowering the news media at large to keep their employees safer online.
The Coalition includes partners from NGOs such as Amnesty International and news companies such as Reach PLC. The University of Liverpool is the first UK university to join the Coalition.
The University was invited to take part in the Coalition after academics in the Department of Communication and Media launched a unique one-stop platform on journalists’ safety in co-operation with UNESCO and the Worlds of Journalism Study – a cross-national collaborative project involving more than 300 researchers from 120 countries.
The platform is led by Dr Vera Slavtcheva-Petkova, Reader in Global Journalism and Media. Dr Slavtcheva-Petkova co-ordinates the platform with Dr Emily Harmer, Senior Lecturer in Media and Dr Rosalynd Southern, Senior Lecturer in Political Communication. It has so far been endorsed by 18 global NGOs and networks of organisations as well as over 100 academics who have shared more than 200 useful resources on journalists’ safety.
Joining the Coalition will allow researchers to collaborate with top global NGOs and media groups to tackle the growing online violence against women and to design measures that would improve communicative safety for journalists, politicians and other public figures worldwide. Research will contribute to working groups on platforms, regulation, newsrooms and emergency assistance for journalists.
The IWMF is an international network which provides support and opportunities for women journalists, as well as drawing attention to gender disparity in the news industry.
Juanita Islas, IWMF Programs Director said: “We are thrilled to welcome the University of Liverpool to the Coalition Against Online Violence. As the CAOV nears 100 member organizations committed to curbing online abuse against women journalists, it’s critical to have the University’s academic research lens to bolster our efforts.”
Dr Vera Slavtcheva-Petkova said: “It is a huge honour to be invited to join the Coalition Against Online Violence. It is only through concerted efforts involving media organisations, civil society and academia working together that we can tackle growing online abuse against women. We look forward to building on our research to contribute to the Coalition.”
Executive Pro-Vice-Chancellor in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor Fiona Beveridge said: “I was pleased to sign the Coalition Against Online Violence partnership agreement on behalf of the University of Liverpool in recognition of our leading research in this crucial area. It’s fantastic that our researchers are working in partnership with organisations across the word to respond to such important global challenges and I look forward to seeing our research further contribute to tackling online abuse against women journalists.”