Thread by @yoursosteam

Team TrollBusters was at the session 'Our social network: intersectional feminist tech advocacy for journalist safety' at #RightsCon #RightsCon2022 with @rightscon @accessnow. We explored this deeply in this story: yoursosteam.wordpress.com/inclusive-tech… Find highlights from the session below:

This panel discussed issues related to online safety such as dealing with reporting backlash, the loneliness that women media professionals feel, etc. In separate breakout rooms participants were encouraged to share their own frustrations with navigating digital spaces.

The first topic was reporting online abuse to digital platforms. The participants shared that they have reported some of the abuse they experienced or observed on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram.

One of the participants reported the online abuse they experience through the reporting systems and requested to get the content removed, they only received help from the platform half the time. It is hard to predict how the algorithms work.

Another participant added that removing abuse that happens in languages other than English is more challenging. For instance, in Latin America many accounts were reported for sharing the private images of journalists without their consent.

Cultural nuances also play a role. Sometimes it is difficult to understand the abuse as it is translated from one language to another, its severity being lost.

People who are famous such as influencers, artists, visible feminists are easy targets. For instance, Leslie Jones and Nicole Hannah-Jones. But harassment can be experienced by anyone.

Next the participants discussed what social media platforms should be doing differently. Firstly, tech platforms should protect marginalized groups, they face additional identity-based abuse. Treating everyone the same way is not helpful when people face different levels of risks

Sidenote: Facebook played a role in spreading violence against journalists in the Philippines.

Some of the participants say that they deal with the online harassment they receive by documenting it.

Some challenges:
1) Reporting from some countries is obviously more dangerous than other locations.
2) Some experienced journalists are not familiar with reporting mechanisms on social media, other methods of reporting should be available.

Here are our resources for women reporters-
Threat Infographic: bit.ly/TrollBustersIn…
Digital Hygiene Lessons: tinyurl.com/TBHygiene
Toxic Avenger Magazine: troll-busters.com
Gen Zeitgeist Curriculum: tinyurl.com/TB-GenZ
Student Press Guide: yoursosteam.wordpress.com/student-editio…