from IWMF
As political tensions rise ahead of the 2024 U.S. general election, the IWMF has worked directly with local news outlets, universities and media associations to address the rising hostility toward journalists in the field.
This year, we launched the Newsroom Safety Across America initiative to provide wrap-around support for journalists and newsrooms. So far, we have traveled to 10 states for in-person trainings that cover the basics of physical, digital, legal, and psychological safety. We’ve trained more than 500 journalists in swing states and other areas receiving heightened attention during the election cycle, and we see this as an initial touchpoint for other safety resources, such as free consultations with our trainers, newsroom policy development and emergency assistance.
Our trainings with journalists across the country have exposed a disturbing decline in journalist safety. Reporters in the U.S. are facing a range of physical, legal and digital attacks with serious consequences for their health, their work and press freedom. In interviews, participants described experience with or concern about physical violence from law enforcement, online attacks from extremist groups and being targeted at protests and rallies as members of the media.
Through our participant survey,* we found that local journalists are already facing intense threats in the field:
- 38% of respondents reported being threatened with or experiencing physical violence while working as a journalist.
- 31% of respondents reported being threatened with or experiencing digital violence while working as a journalist.
- 27% of respondents reported legal threats or action against them while working as a journalist.
*These findings are as of June 2024 with 368 respondents in Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, New York, Michigan and Nevada.
And we’re still on the road! This summer, we’ll be at AAJA, NLGJA and ONA, and we’ve opened a session in Austin, Texas on August 6. More sessions will be announced via our social media channels and on the IWMF website.
Open Opportunities
Apply by August 12: Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice in the Americas reporting grant initiative
*NEW* Ongoing: Applications accepted on a rolling basis for the Safety in Numbers initiative, which will provide identity-informed newsroom training to newsrooms in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean
Ongoing: Applications accepted on a rolling basis for the Fund for Women Journalists
Ongoing: Applications accepted on a rolling basis for the Fund for Indigenous Journalists: Reporting on Missing & Murdered Women, Girls, Two-Spirit and Transgender People (MMIWG2T)
Newsroom Safety Across America trainings
- AUSTIN (August 6): One-day training with the Texas Tribune (form), deadline to apply is July 31.
- WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 23): One-day training with Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press (form), deadline to apply is September 9.
- MIAMI (October 2-3): Two one-day trainings supported by the Knight Foundation (form), deadline to apply is September 16.
About the IWMF The IWMF is the only global organization built to serve the holistic needs of women and nonbinary journalists. We are a bold and inclusive organization that supports journalists where they are with awards, reporting opportunities, fellowships, grants, safety training and emergency aid. As one of the largest supporters of women-produced journalism, our transformative work strengthens equal opportunity and press freedom worldwide.
