Canada: Saba Eitizaz Hit With Yet Another Online Trolling Campaign

Location: Canada, Toronto

Date: August 3, 2022

*Updated on August 5, 2022

Journalist Saba Eitezaz has been hit with yet another wave of online attacks aimed at silencing her reporting. The co-host and producer of Toronto Star's daily news podcast 'This Matters' took to Twitter to share her distress over the vile and racially charged abuse she is sent on the regular. The Coalition For Women In Journalism expresses deep concern over escalating digital hostilities against women journalists of color in the country. We extend support to Saba and call on Canadian authorities to take immediate action against the perpetrators. 

Earlier this week, Saba posted a screenshot of the racially charged and abuse she is being targeted with for her work. 

"What would you call a targeted, systemic hate campaign? And when will we move beyond conversations to action as journalists are threatened with impunity?" asked Saba, sharing an email charged with hate. 

"The main thing is you quit "journalism", learn to code with a burkha on your head and be grateful traditional Canadians will let you live in peace," read the email dotted with expletives. 

Saba said she is sent similar emails almost every Friday and demanded an end to the impunity with which women journalists of color are being targeted online in Canada. 

Saba shared screenshots of other emails which referred to an "old-school wall with printout pics of all the Canadian media c**** that need to be boogaloo'ed the f*** out of Canada" made by the sender and his purported accomplices. The so-called list allegedly featured Saba, Rachel Gilmore, Erica Ifill and other journalists. The sender proceeded to elaborating on which journalists "the boys" wanted "silenced" first.

Almost every week,on a Friday so I get to think about it on a weekend.What would you call a targeted, systemic hate campaign? And when will we move beyond conversations to action as journalists are threatened with impunity? @caj @CFWIJ @cjffjc #JournalismIsNotACrime #cdnmedia pic.twitter.com/Jlc8EvrvsB

— Saba Eitizaz (@sabaeitizaz) August 2, 2022

Speaking to the CFWIJ, Saba said "I don't understand what needs to happen before action is taken". 

This is not the first time that the award-winning journalist is being threatened and harassed. “I am in exile because of threats from [my home country] Pakistan. And now to receive the same kind of highly sexualised abuse and threats in Canada as well where I came to be safe is obviously very disturbing,” she told CFWIJ, last October, when right-wing politician Maxime Bernier incited his followers to troll women journalists of color online. 

The repeated attacks on Saba and other women journalists are deeply concerning as online threats may seem harmless but they can, and do, quickly translate into physical attacks. The CFWIJ has reported extensively on the vitriol directed at women journalists of color in Canada’s digital space and the dangers it poses to their work. 

Such widespread intimidation of journalists is not only unethical but also criminal. Especially when the threats contain hateful rhetoric targeting the race, gender and sexual orientation of these journalists. 

Since 2021, attacks on women journalists from ethnic backgrounds have increased amid the rise of populist right-wing nationalism. The CFWIJ has documented spikes in online hate directed at women journalists of color when such nationalists leaders incite their supporters and ahead of events such as the Ottawa trucker protests or “Canada Day” - the country’s national day, commemorated on July 1 to mark the Canada’s independence from Great Britain in 1867. 

Saba believes that journalists of color have been targeted more frequently in connection with the racially charged atmosphere since Canada’s election season last year.The vitriol is worse on social media where trolls can hide behind anonymity. 

Online violence can manifest into physical violence, including home invasions, assault and murder. Such persistent attacks can also take a toll on the mental health of women journalists impeding their work. 

As Saba is vocal about the threats she receives she is often dismissed by white men who try to equate the attacks on her with the threatening emails they get. The “Block and move on'' is a Band-Aid solution to a systemic and ongoing problem against women journalists. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism stands in solidarity with Saba Eitizaz and other women journalists of color facing hostilities for simply doing their jobs. The Canadian authorities' lack of response to these attacks stands not only in stark contrast to the multiculturalism that the country boasts of but also severely undermines democratic principles and press freedom. We’ve been following ongoing online attacks on women journalists in Canada with great concern. The CFWIJ registers strong protest against such attacks and calls on both the Canadian authorities and social media conglomerates to ensure safety of women journalists online. The perpetrators must be held to account! 

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.