“Anything for the Shot”: Organizational Support, Gender, and Their Effects on Journalists Covering U.S. Protests

Abstract

ABSTRACT The harassment of journalists is nothing new; however, much of the harassment literature has focused on the abuse of journalists online, while neglecting encounters that occur offline. As such, this study explores the experiences and effects of in-the-field harassment that occurs as journalists cover protests in the U.S., and how harassment experiences at protests vary for men and women journalists. Using a survey of 339 journalists and in-depth interviews with 20 journalists, findings indicate that women journalists had more negative experiences at protests than their men counterparts and were more likely to alter their situations as a result. Moreover, newsroom support was relatively common while journalists were actively reporting on protests but ended once journalists completed their coverage. This oversight leaves many journalists—particularly women—with increasing mental and emotional struggles they are left to deal with alone. Implications for practitioners and future directions for studying offline harassment of journalists are discussed.