Harassment of journalists and how to tackle it – Sharing best practices

Time: 7.5.2018 at 14:00–17:00

Venue: Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU
Avenue de Cortenbergh 80
B-1000 BRUXELLES
BELGIUM

In a networked and polarized world, journalists are more and more often at the receiving end of harassment. To share ideas, experiences and best practices in tackling the phenomenon, the Association of Finnish Foreign Affairs Journalists organises an international seminar in Brussels in May 2018. Its goal is to have interesting, informal conversations on the topic between people of different backgrounds so that all participants leave with better tools to deal with harassment. The event is funded by the Mediapooli branch of Finland’s National Emergency Supply Organisation, while the venue is offered by the Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU.

The event will be conducted under Chatham House Rule: information heard in the seminar can be freely used, but the identities or affiliations of speakers and other participants can not be revealed when doing so. We are happy to provide contact information of the speakers to fix up interviews after the seminar.

Perspectives of the seminar include:

• How journalists in and around Europe are harassed, and why?
• The myriad ways of threats of violence, mass posting campaigns, spreading rumours and lies about journalists, abuse of defamation laws…
• What can be done about it? How to prevent it from happening, how to act during and after a harassment crisis? What are the current best practices?
• Is there a discernible difference between spontaneous and centrally planned harassment? How do they interact and overlap?

Speakers:

• Overview: Ricardo Gutiérrez, General Secretary of European Federation of Journalists
• Case EU, Anneli Ahonen, EU East Stratcom
• Case Ukraine, Vasyl Myroshnychenko
• Case Germany, Boris Reitschuster