Friday February 9 2017: Women in Media (/) has told the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee Cyberbullying hearing that urgent action is needed to address cyberbullying.
Women in Media’s submission to the review called for:
- Clearer guidelines on what a reasonable person finds menacing, harassing or offensive
- A national taskforce to tackle the issue
- More funding to raise awareness of how and where to report cyberbullying
- More research on new offences, trends and crimes as result of social media
- More funding for primary prevention of cyber bullying
- A legislative channel for clear and adequate recourse for victims
- Empowering the telecommunications industry ombudsman or similar with the power to investigate delayed response and action and review unsatisfactory outcomes including inaction by social media platform
Women in Media is a national networking and mentoring initiative which aims to support and nurture women working in all facets of the media. Utilising the influence and backing of MEAA, WiM aims to improve the working lives of women in the industry through campaigns to close the equity and opportunity gap for women working in the media, as well as through advocacy, mentoring, events and research.
Women in Media Committee Member Liza-Jayne Loch said:
“The usual solution, block and delete, doesn’t really work for people whose entire careers are built around their ability to communicate freely with the public. This constant abuse ranges from death threats against individual women or her children, through to co-ordinated campaigns to spread vile accusations, distorted and fake images, smear.”
“It’s clear the current approach isn’t working. It’s clear that Government, social media platform administrators, enforcement agencies, media associations and media professionals, and other relevant bodies must work together.”
Women in Media Committee member, Journalist and Academic Jenna Price said:
“But I also plead with you to impose some kind of sanction on those who incite harassment against any individual on the internet. And enforce it, even if those doing the incitement are cadres of conservative commentators, repeating your name over and over again, whistling up the dogs.”
“Journalists need to be there. Social media is our workplace – but it’s not a safe workplace. Employers must take more responsibility in this space – but that won’t be enough.”
Women in Media Committee member, Journalist and Cyber Hate Expert Ginger Gorman said:
“This might sound alarmist but investigative work that I do, I’ve learned that trolls are wrecking lives and causing people – especially women – to harm themselves, lose their jobs and die by suicide. They may deliberately wreck the person’s reputation so the victim becomes unemployable. It’s a type of economic vandalism. Often the trolls I’ve interviewed and investigated have simultaneously perpetrated offline crimes, such as stalking, domestic violence, terrorism. One of them committed a high school shooting in the US.”
“This is not just people being “mean” online. My point today is that trolling doesn’t stay online. Cyberhate is causing real-life harm and it’s everyone’s business.”
Media Contact:
Liza-Jayne (LJ) Loch 0488 038 555 or [email protected]
Cassie Derrick 0478 071 464 or [email protected]
About Women in Media
Women in Media (WiM) is a nationwide networking and mentoring initiative to support and nurture women working in all facets of the media – from journalism and media advising to public relations and corporate affairs. Women in Media aims to improve the working lives of women in the industry by industrial aims, advocacy, mentoring, events and research.
