LGBTQ+ journalists face a hostile environment in the UK, with most finding themselves the objects of online harassment and abuse, a study has suggested.
The research, which was commissioned by the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity (LHC), indicated that many saw their roles as dangerous and wanted more support from senior colleagues.
The study particularly noted abuse targeted at transgender people, with LGBTQ+ journalists saying taking part in media coverage of trans issues often led to high levels of abuse.
Finbarr Toesland, who collected data for LHC, said: “A concerning 76% of those journalists surveyed either disagreed (62%) or strongly disagreed (14%) that media organisations in the UK are adequately protecting LGBTQ journalists from harassment and abuse.”
He added: “If left unchecked, hate speech and abuse against LGBTQ journalists has the potential to create a chilling effect where journalists are either uncomfortable or afraid to report on vital issues of importance to LGBTQ people.
“Many professionals who took part in the study called for managing online threats to be included in journalism training, and further training for media executives on the impacts of abuse against journalists as well as better advice on combating abuse, especially in the digital space.”
Publication of the research comes two years after a large-scale study led by Unesco painted a dark picture of the threats facing female journalists around the world.
The UN said its report detailed unprecedented levels of attack designed to belittle and discredit female reporters – as well as to undercut public trust in critical journalism and facts more generally. It suggested nearly three-quarters had experienced online hostility, while a quarter had been threatened with sexual violence and death. It also said the likelihood of attack increased greatly if the women belonged to a minority.
The LHC, which is based at Birmingham City University, said its research showed online abuse targeting journalists’ sexual orientation and gender identity had also become commonplace.
Toesland, a London-based journalist, worked under the academic supervision of Dr Poppy Wilde, from Birmingham City University’s school of media, on the report, which is entitled: Are media organisations adequately protecting LGBTQ journalists from harassment and abuse?
They used data from organisations including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the news industry regulator Ipso and the National Union of Journalists. The study also drew on figures from the Office for National Statistics, Unesco, the pollster YouGov and several academic research stories.
Toesland and Wilde said they carried out a survey of 40 LGBTQ+ journalists working in the UK, as well as one-to-one interviews with six media workers. Through that work, they said, their report charted “intermittent and consistent abuse and harassment” faced by LGBTQ+ journalists.
They said 82% of respondents reported having faced trolling, with 56% facing homophobic harassment.
Abuse received on Twitter was mentioned by 88% of respondents, with 33% receiving abuse through Facebook and 24% receiving some through Instagram. Four in five respondents said they had experienced stress, with almost three in four reporting anxiety, the researchers said.
• This article was amended on 9 May 2023. An earlier version referred incorrectly to “Birmingham University” rather than Birmingham City University.
