In 2024, 64 countries, representing nearly half the world’s population, are holding elections with varying degrees of openness. Globally – especially during elections – journalists are increasingly at risk, facing growing online abuse, hate, threats of violence, and other forms of intimidation. This violence undermines elections and democratic processes more broadly, making it more difficult and dangerous for journalists to report truthfully, provide information, and hold those in power and running for office accountable.
#ElectSafely Campaign
Protecting Journalists and Safeguarding Press Freedom during Contentious Election Cycles Worldwide
We can’t stress it enough: Online violence is a direct and urgent threat to press freedom.
In response to these unprecedented risks facing journalists globally in 2024, the Coalition Against Online Violence (CAOV) is launching the #ElectSafely campaign. Through this campaign, we’re empowering journalists, media professionals and newsrooms during a particularly contentious election year with resources and guidance from our community to protect and defend against online abuse and other election safety challenges and intimidation tactics. As members of CAOV, we are committed to providing resources for journalists at the forefront of election coverage – and the forefront of online abuse.
Journalists are targeted online for their professions and their identities. Journalists from historically marginalized communities and/or with intersectional identities are disproportionately targeted—including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and members of religious and ethnic minorities.
Our Resources
- Newsroom Safety Across America (International Women’s Media Foundation): Daylong in-person trainings across the U.S. for local journalists covering politics, civil unrest and the 2024 election cycle.
- U.S. Election Safety Summer (PEN America, Committee to Protect Journalists, International Women’s Media Foundation): Webinar series supporting journalists covering the 2024 U.S. elections.
- Digital Safety Snacks (PEN America, Online News Association, International Women’s Media Foundation): Webinar series providing bite-sized digital security support for journalists.
- Right To Be’s Free eLearning Program: Bystander Intervention: How to be an Ally when You Witness Online Abuse for Journalism Students (Right To Be): This online course prepares journalism students to navigate and defuse instances of online harassment through proven bystander intervention strategies.
- Bystander Intervention to Stop Online Harassment: How to be an Ally when You Witness Online Abuse: Join PEN America and Right To Be for this free, one-hour, interactive training on how to intervene safely and effectively when you see online abuse.
- Hate and Hope Tracker (Right to Be): Document harassment online and/or support others experiencing online harassment. Create a journalist account here to share your story and receive support from fellow journalists and a community of vetted bystanders.
- A Guide to Protecting Newsrooms and Journalists Against Online Violence (International Women’s Media Foundation): Guide and templates to help newsrooms and editors prepare and respond to online violence against their employees and freelancers. Available in Spanish & English.
- A Mental Health Guide for Journalists Facing Online Violence (International Women’s Media Foundation): Guide and exercises to provide initial mental health support for journalists targeted by online abuse. Available in Spanish, English, Arabic and Farsi.
- Privacy Party App (Block Party): An app to scan and update your social media accounts to keep your personal information secure.
- Automated Online Abuse Removal & Troll ID (Areto): Automatically remove spam, abuse and illegal streams from your socials, while detecting trolls with AI customized to your community context.
Share the campaign!
Keep journalists informed of the resources available to them this global election year. Click the tweet below to share #ElectSafely with your followers.
The #ElectSafely campaign is organized by the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF), PEN America, and Right to Be. The Coalition Against Online Violence is funded by Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Emerson Collective, Knight Foundation and Luminate Group – and was founded by the International Women’s Media Foundation.