FOR a few years now, a new threat has been looming over journalists: cyberbullying. As many organizations express their alarm about how wide-spread the phenomenon is, the Thomson Reuters Foundation has set out to create a new platform to help media professionals combat online abuse when it occurs.
Christophe Deloire, secretary general of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), said in 2018 that "Online harassment is a phenomenon that is spreading throughout the world and now constitutes one of the gravest threats to press freedom." Four years later, these words are unfortunately still relevant.
"News and information chaos" and the "spread of disinformation circuits" are fuelling international tensions and divisions within societies, according to RSF's latest annual report on press freedom. This increased polarization only makes the job more difficult in three quarters of the world's countries. In all, 73% of the 180 countries evaluated by the NGO are characterized by situations deemed "very serious," "difficult" or "problematic" concerning the freedom of media professionals to exercise their profession. While this proportion remains the same as last year, the number of countries where the situation is "very serious" has reached a new high.
The international organization also sounds the alarm on the increase in abuses committed against journalists. These professionals find themselves increasingly targeted personally, insulted and threatened with death, attempts to discredit them and silence them. Women are particularly vulnerable. A 2020 Unesco study by the International Center for Journalists found that 73 percent of women journalists have been victims of online violence.
Cyberstalking and psychological trauma
Rana Ayyub is one of them. She has been the target of a massive online intimidation campaign since the publication of her investigation into the use of anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002 by Narendra Modi, the current Prime Minister of India. The International Center for Journalists recently counted 8.5 million mostly hateful tweets directed at the Washington Post reporter.
At a time when journalists' freedom to work is under particular threat, the Thomson Reuters Foundation has partnered with Jigsaw, a Google-owned organization, to develop a platform to help them guard against aggressive and hateful messages on social networks. TRFilter syncs with the user's Twitter account to automatically recognize and report unwanted comments.
The technology also allows journalists to block and mute problematic content, as well as safeguard it for potential legal action. "TRFilter empowers the user to continue their critical reporting mission without suffering the psychological trauma associated with online abuse," wrote Antonio Zappulla, CEO of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, in an op-ed in The Press Gazette.
For now, this tool works only on Twitter and in English. It will soon be available in other languages. Journalists and other media professionals wishing to try it out can register online on a dedicated site (www.trfilter.org).
ETX Studio
Tue May 24 2022
RSF sounds the alarm on the increase in abuses committed against journalists. - ETX Studio
Mesir-Perancis bincang gencatan senjata, bantuan kemanusiaan di Gaza
Mereka menekankan keperluan segera untuk gencatan senjata dan membincangkan beberapa inisiatif yang bertujuan menyelesaikan krisis tersebut.
Selangor sasar noktah miskin tegar Julai ini - MB
Majlis Tindakan Pembangunan Negeri Selangor merekodkan sejumlah 861 keluarga masih berada dalam kategori miskin tegar.
Kitaro di Festival Muzik Hutan Hujan Dunia 2024
Kitaro bakal membuat persembahan pada Festival Muzik Hutan Hujan Dunia (RWMF) 2024 pada 28-30 Jun ini.
PH kerja keras pertahan DUN KKB, tidak mahu berasa selesa
Walaupun berjaya menguasai kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) selama tiga penggal sejak 2013, namun ia bukanlah tiket untuk Pakatan Harapan (PH) berasa selesa.
MDKpr nafi curi haiwan ternakan dalam kandang
Ahmad Suqairy berkata haiwan itu ditangkap dalam operasi oleh Bahagian Penguatkuasaan MDKpr pada 23 Apr lalu di kawasan Kolej TAR.
488 acara dipertandingkan di SUKMA Sarawak 2024 - MSN
Jawatankuasa Tertinggi Sukan Malaysia (SUKMA) secara rasmi bersetuju menawarkan sejumlah 488 acara dipertandingkan pada temasya SUKMA Sarawak 2024.
Petronas Dagangan catat jualan lebih 16 bilion liter bahan api pada 2023
PDB merekodkan peningkatan perolehan sebanyak dua peratus didorong jumlah jualan lebih tinggi dan keuntungan selepas cukai yang meningkat.
Aset rizab rasmi Malaysia berjumlah AS$113.76 bilion pada akhir Mac - BNM
Aset rizab rasmi Malaysia berjumlah AS$113.76 bilion pada akhir Mac 2024 manakala aset mata wang asing lain adalah US$1.61 bilion, kata Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).
Kemunculan Momota di gelanggang pastinya dirindui - Pemain badminton dunia
Momota bakal bersara daripada arena sukan badminton antarabangsa selepas Piala Thomas 2024 yang sedang berlangsung di Chengdu.
Akta Sewaan Kediaman perlu digubal segera bagi pelihara hak pemilik, penyewa
Pertubuhan Sewaan Kediaman Kebangsaan hari ini meminta kerajaan menggubal Akta Sewaan Kediaman dengan segera bagi memastikan hak pemilik kediaman dan penyewa sentiasa terpelihara di negara ini.