Freedom of the press and a safe working environment are core values of our democratic state of law. However, several incidents in recent years have shown that these values are under pressure: many journalists are subjected to aggressive and violent treatment. Journalistic unsafety, however, is not just a contemporary problem. Therefore, the issue now occupies a high place on the international agenda. There is also a call from Dutch politicians for more research into the vulnerability of journalists. A research team (Holvast, Jansen, Roks & Nan) from Erasmus School of Law conducted a study on violence and aggression against journalists in the Netherlands following a parliamentary debate on the protection of journalists. Commissioned by the Research and Documentation Centre (WODC), the researchers found that violence and aggression against journalists is a broad, diverse, and context-bound problem that has already received much attention and policy but whose implementation can sometimes be improved.
The study Beelden van geweld. Een mixed-methods onderzoek naar geweld en agressie tegen journalisten ("Images of Violence: A Mixed-Methods Study on Violence and Aggression Against Journalists") was conducted between January 2021 and September 2022. The research team consisted of Nina Holvast, Associate Professor of Empirical Legal Studies, Joost Jansen, Assistant Professor of Criminology, Robby Roks, Associate Professor of Criminology, and Joost Nan, Professor of Criminal (Procedural) Law.
Various research methods were combined to map out the nature, scope, perpetrators, victims, and policy interventions related to violence against journalists in the Netherlands. The study includes a literature and country study, an analysis of 412 PersVeilig reports, 37 criminal cases, and 1800 media reports, supplemented by 28 interviews with journalists and a computerized analysis of approximately 1 million Twitter messages. Through this broad approach, the researchers were able to paint a rich picture of the problem. The research is a fitting addition to the existing research that is mostly survey research.
Broad, varied, and contextual research
One initial conclusion drawn by the researchers is that violence against journalists is a diffuse problem: the nature, extent, and manner in which violence is experienced vary. Therefore, according to the researchers, there is no such thing as a single type of violence against journalists. Furthermore, press safety is inextricably linked to broader societal tensions and issues. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent tensions, a polarized political climate, and changing ideas about the function of journalism play a role in the current problem. "However, we also see that media attention on violence against journalists and public awareness of it have grown in recent years. The profession itself plays an important role in raising awareness," states Nina Holvast.
Regarding the victims, it appears that different journalistic fields are unevenly affected: especially in the context of emergency journalism and visual journalism, reporting on demonstrations or (sporting) events, through social media, and in crime journalism, journalists are confronted with violence. "Based on our research, we tentatively conclude that violence is often not deliberate but driven by emotion. This also has consequences for the way in which we are to address it," adds Holvast.
The path to a safer journalism work climate
The current measures against violence towards journalists and the amount of media attention on the issue show that the Netherlands already prioritizes the safety of journalists compared to other European countries. Various policy interventions - such as the PersVeilig protocol - seem quite adequate on paper. However, the reality is more complicated: policy implementation lags behind. Furthermore, a possible expansion of the community service ban for violence against journalists - an increase in punishment was considered - has little support among journalists. It also does not align well with the often impulsive nature of the violence.
So, where do the researchers see opportunities for a safer journalism work climate? "Because the violence is related to broader societal developments, we recommend, among other things, to focus more on promoting media literacy in society, for example, in schools. In addition, violence against journalists deserves continued attention through research and registration," says Holvast. Finally, the research shows that online platforms need to take responsibility for promoting desired online behaviour and removing unacceptable content.
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Click here for the press release of the WODC.
