WBA Newsroom
From the American Press Institute:
The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) and the American Press Institute (API) are pleased to announce a new partnership providing holistic training and education on online violence. As online attacks against journalists continue to threaten press freedom and journalists’ wellbeing, the organizations will collaborate to bolster digital safety in the news media.
The partnership will build on the IWMF’s unique model of identity-conscious digital safety support by offering ongoing training to combat violence to news organizations in API programs, including alumni of The Table Stakes Local News Transformation program and participants in the Source Matters diversity tracking cohort. Led by digital safety expert Ela Stapley, these sessions will work to improve the policies of API’s news partners in addressing online attacks, as well as help implement mental health and trauma response protocols for staff experiencing abuse online.
“News organizations depend on us to help them adapt to the needs of their teams and the times, so embracing online safety training is an essential element of our work,” said API Executive Director and CEO Michael D. Bolden. “The IWMF’s first-rate training will enable API to help news leaders better protect their journalists from online violence so they can advance the critical work of building healthy local news organizations focused on serving their communities.”
As part of the partnership, the IWMF will also take over weekly Monday special editions of API’s ‘Need to Know’ newsletter from March 13 until April 3 to bring digital safety knowledge to broader audiences. Thought leaders in preventing online violence in journalism will share their perspectives on the issue as well as resources and precautions to help journalists stay safe online. API will amplify all of the material through a social media campaign.
“Online violence is designed to silence journalists’ voices and censor them from reporting the truth,” said Nadine Hoffman, Deputy Director of the IWMF. “We’re thrilled to team up with API to show journalists ways to care for their safety and wellbeing before, during and after an online attack.”
Sign up for API’s newsletter here. For more information on newsroom safety training and 1:1 consultations from the IWMF, visit iwmf.org/programs/online-harassment/.