Online harassment among male and female journalists in Nepal and its impact on their work

Online harassment of journalists is a growing concern worldwide as more journalists report burnouts, fatigue and desire to quit journalism. This research was based on in-depth interviews of five male and five female Nepali journalists. It aimed at investigating the forms of online harassment journalists face in Nepal, the impacts it has on them and the strategies they employ to deal with it. It was of research interest to examine differences in harassment experiences of male and female journalists. Results showed the common forms of harassment journalists face are cyberstalking, sexual harassment, gendered harassment, manipulation and intimidation. Due to this, journalists decreased social media usage and self-censored themselves on it. It led to fears of physical harm, judgement and being discredited. Most interviewed journalists ignored it considering it a part of their job. Complaining about harassment bore no positive results. Women from the sample faced comparatively more sexual and gendered harassment, with harassment being more personal and of higher intensity. This had adverse impacts on some female interviewees leading them to quit social media and the profession altogether, which further increases gender gap in the heavily male-dominated industry. Younger and less experienced journalists..