Online Harm is #NotOk; Here’s What We’re Doing About It

Online harm has become one of the most significant safety issues facing journalists and media professionals today. In a crucial effort to protect its people, CBC/Radio-Canada is standing up with industry leaders and allies to say that it’s #NotOk .

There is no democracy without press freedom, yet despite our vital role in informing and enlightening Canadians, many of our colleagues covering news in Canada and around the globe are increasingly under attack. Online harm, in particular, is on the rise for public and private media organizations alike, creating a prevalent and pervasive channel for abuse. As Canada’s national public broadcaster and a top employer in the country, we want to do all we can to protect our people so that they can do their jobs safely.?

#NotOk : Pushing back against online harm

An industry-wide effort is needed to advocate for collective responses to end online abuse. That’s why, in November 2021, we launched the #NotOk initiative. Since that time, many media colleagues in Canada and around the world have joined us in the fight. We hosted a virtual forum, #NotOk — Stand Up for Journalism and Democracy , as a way to unite people from across the news industry to share their stories, support each other, and take a common stand against this growing problem.

Additionally, we’ve created a safer work environment for journalists and media professionals by:

• Supporting our teams and responding more quickly when they are targeted, providing them aid and guidance;?
• Calling on social media companies, government and various institutions to address online harm through legislation;?
• Publishing a Newsroom Guide for Managing Online Harm and a Tip Sheet for Individuals to support your colleagues and teams before, during and after incidents of online harm;?
• Providing insights, advice, tools and knowledge to more than 300 CBC and Radio-Canada colleagues on how they can protect themselves in the field and online; and?
• Developing a digital safe space where our teams can share experiences and learnings.

A first-of-its-kind international study

Despite the growing concern around this issue, there has never been an inquiry into the psychological and emotional impacts of online harm on journalists and media professionals. That’s why CBC/Radio-Canada is supporting research on this subject with Hannah Storm , media consultant and journalism safety expert, led by Dr. Anthony Feinstein, neuropsychiatrist, and his team at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, which is home to Canada’s largest trauma centre and a teaching hospital of the University of Toronto.

Dr. Feinstein is an expert in the study of mental trauma in journalists who work in conflict zones, having written several books on the topic, and producing the Peabody award-winning documentary,?Under Fire: Journalists in Combat.

This first-of-its-kind international study will provide clinical insights into how online harm impacts the well-being, diversity, productivity and absenteeism of media professionals. It will also provide practical recommendations around retention, psychological safety and the development of new supporting tools. The results will be published on the #NotOk website — we’ll let you know when.?

What can you do?

We all have a role to play in standing up against online harm. What can you do? Keep talking to news teams and colleagues so they know they’re not fighting this alone. Using the #NotOk hashtag on social media to share experiences and drive discussions can help, too. And… taking care of yourselves and others by using and sharing the resources we’ve developed. Online harm is not ok — not for journalists, not for media professionals, not for anyone.