Journalists in Libya face frequent online harassment, which impedes their ability to fulfil their function as watchdogs against corruption, human rights abuses and other issues, journalists said last week during a round table discussion with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya.
Thirty-one journalists from Libya’s east, west and south joined the online discussion Thursday as part of the Basirah professional development programme, organised in coordination with UNSMIL’s Human Rights Section. It will inform an upcoming workshop on 19 June, led by a digital safety expert from the international non-governmental organisation Committee to Protect Journalists, about ways journalists can shield themselves from online harassment.
“Discussing the online harassment of journalists is essential because it threatens the right to expression and leads some to retreat or self-censor,” said Eman Ben Amer, a journalist who attended the event. “Ignoring it means silencing free voices.”
The journalists, during the meeting, shared their personal experiences with harassment, shedding light on the form, frequency, and causes.
Ninety-two per cent of participants, in a post-workshop survey, said they had personally experienced online harassment.
The most reported form of harassment was abusive comments or messages on social media, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Journalists also described how harassers had taken photos or videos of them, manipulated them using deceitful editing or artificial intelligence, and then shared them widely.
The harassment often escalated to death threats and, sometimes, actual physical attacks, they said. In some cases, mobilisation appeared to be coordinated, with some journalists noting that they “trended” on social media because of harassment.
“They distorted my reputation to the point I found myself under investigation by state intelligence,” said one journalist, who was dismissed from their job after such an online attack. “The recording is still on YouTube and now, even years later, people will post it in the comments when I publish anything.”
The attacks were provoked by everything from the topic of a story to the sex, age or cultural background of the reporter.
Sometimes the stories that sparked abuse were sensitive from a political or human rights perspective. One journalist related how they were attacked for promoting “foreign agendas” when they covered a story about violence against women.
But at other times, the stories were seemingly non-controversial. For example, one journalist recounted how they were attacked for broadcasting a sports match on accusations of “supporting the opposing team.” Another was harassed for reporting on flood victims in Derna.
Female journalists reported particular trouble, saying they were harassed for nearly everything they published—regardless of topic.
“Being a female journalist in Libyan society is very difficult,” one journalist said. “They target a woman’s reputation and honour – make things personal.”
Eighty-six per cent of journalists, in the post-workshop survey, said harassment had impacted their work in some way. Thirty per cent reported reducing their social media presence to avoid backlash – a major handicap in the media sector. Thirty per cent said they “censored or softened” their language to avoid offending certain parties. Others said they avoided writing about controversial topics altogether.
“Journalists need a safe space to work freely and honestly,” said journalist Mohammed Fozy. “Without that, free media can’t exist.”
Journalists and other media professionals are invited to register for the Basirah programme, including the upcoming Basirah workshop on how journalists can protect themselves from online harassment, here: (link)
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).