Canada: Kylie Stanton Harassed In Field; CFWIJ Condemns Incident
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Date: February 8, 2022
Journalist Kylie Stanton associated with Global News was harassed in the field. In a video she posted on Twitter, it is apparent that a man and a woman are following her. The woman in the video accuses her of being a “liar” while the man attempts to provoke the crowd by identifying her through her employer organization and claiming that Global News serves as a propaganda platform. The growing harassment of women journalists in the country online and in physical spaces has become a cause for great concern.
How I was greeted today for simply doing my job. Stay safe journos. Let’s continue to do our work! #yyj @GlobalBC @shakyblurryblue pic.twitter.com/iEYW1PPSS3
— Kylie Stanton (@kyliestanton) February 5, 2022
More targeting of journalists out doing a job. People obviously don't have to agree with all news stories/journalists, but singling people out, stirring the pot, encouraging hostility towards us and in some cases preventing those in the field from working is NOT acceptable. https://t.co/3KU73BAlvw
— Kim Bolan (@kbolan) February 5, 2022
In a tweet posted on February 6, Kylie highlights the intimidation journalists are facing on ground for merely doing their jobs, and advises her colleagues to stay safe.
Kylie received support from Kim Bolan, an investigative reporter from The Sun. According to Kim, the audiences are well within their rights to disagree with journalists. However, this attempt at intimidation and harassment after singling them out in public spaces is uncalled for.
Hostility against women journalists and journalists for ethnic minorities in the country has seen a sharp rise recently, especially from supporters of right wing political personalities. Recently a wave of online harassment campaigns targeted women journalists, questioning their professional capabilities and issuing personal attacks. . Last year, a provocative tweet by Maxime Bernier led to over 20 women journalists being targeted through an organized hate campaign. They came forward, sharing screenshots of the abuse they received as a result of Bernier unjustifiably instigating his support base against the press. The journalists work for different organizations and cover different beats, and have been solely targeted with vile racist and sexist rhetoric.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns these repeated attacks against women journalists in the country. These are attempts to intimidate journalists into silence and seriously threaten the freedom of press in the country. Authorities need to look into these repeated incidents and the growing sentiment against journalists working in Canada in order to protect the democratic principles they claim to abide by.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.
