THE Poynter Institute and George Washington University have invited small and medium-sized newsrooms to apply for a pilot program to address and reduce online harassment of journalists.
The program, Expert Voices Together, uses evidence-based research to develop a program of best practices for reacting when journalists are threatened, abused, or harassed online.
The programme is slated for April 21, 2022.
Participants will test strategies to address online harassment in newsrooms and help find solutions for professionals facing similar challenges.
The project aims at creating a system for response to online harassment that is grounded in experience and meets the needs of a wide range of journalists. Participating newsrooms will be asked to follow guidelines for best practices using their existing staff and management structures, advised by the Expert Voices Together team.
Newsrooms will then provide feedback on the practicality and effectiveness of the suggested program.
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Financial compensation of $5,000 will be provided to each newsroom for their participation.
The organisers say the ideal applicant will be a small medium-sized newsroom with managers who have already identified their staff’s safety and well-being as a key priority but are looking for practical ideas to handle both spontaneous and coordinated campaigns of online harassment.
The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is a global leader in journalism education and a strategy centre that stands for uncompromising excellence in journalism, media, and 21st-century public discourse. Poynter faculty teach seminars and workshops at the Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, and at newsrooms, conferences, and organizations around the world.
The deadline for the submission of the application is May 4, 2022. Interested newsroom should apply here.
Blessing Otoibhi is a Multimedia Journalist and Anchor host for the News in 60 seconds at The International Center For Investigative Reporting. You can shoot her a mail via [email protected] or connect on Twitter @B_otoibhi