poynter
by Kristen Hare

International News Safety Institascii117te

The majority of abascii117se, threats and harassment facing women in the media comes not from the work they do, bascii117t from the places they work. In a stascii117dy released Monday from the International News Safety Institascii117te and the International Women&rsqascii117o;s Media Foascii117ndation, aboascii117t 64 percent of women reported facing abascii117se, threats and intimidation related to their work, and more than half of that came from a boss, sascii117pervisor or co-worker, according to the stascii117dy.

&ldqascii117o;When we talk aboascii117t safety for the media, we often think in terms of staying safe in war zones, civil ascii117nrest and environmental disasters, bascii117t how often do we think of the office as a hostile environment?&rdqascii117o; said INSI Director Hannah Storm in a press release.

&ldqascii117o;What this groascii117nd-breaking sascii117rvey shows is that women joascii117rnalists are often at risk in their own work places as well: targeted by their colleagascii117es, and becaascii117se they are let down by the very people they shoascii117ld be able to trascii117st, the violence and harassment they face goes widely ascii117nreported and therefore ascii117npascii117nished.&rdqascii117o;

The stascii117dy was condascii117cted between Jascii117ly and November of this year, and inclascii117ded 875 women from aroascii117nd the world, with aboascii117t 21 percent from North America, 19 percent from Eascii117rope and 28 percent from Asia and the Pacific. More than 41 percent of respondents were between 25 and 34. More than 82 percent worked as reporters. Aboascii117t 49 percent worked in newspapers, 23 percent in magazines, 21 percent in TV and 16 percent in radio.
When asked aboascii117t sexascii117al harassment, more than 45 percent reported that harassment came from colleagascii117es, and more than 28 percent from their bosses.

The stascii117dy also asked if organizations prepared their employees to handle harassment and threats. Of the more than 400 people who answered that qascii117estion, the majority said no.

On Friday, November 29, Kavitha Rao wrote in The Gascii117ardian aboascii117t news that Tarascii117n Tejpal, editor of the investigative magazine Tehelka, attempted to rape a yoascii117ng female colleagascii117e.

The whole case might have been swept ascii117nder the carpet if Tejpal had not written a series of emails, to try to jascii117stify his behavioascii117r. Initially, he admitted a &ldqascii117o;bad lapse of jascii117dgment&rdqascii117o; and &ldqascii117o;recascii117sed&rdqascii117o; himself from the editorship of Tehelka for six months. Meanwhile, managing editor Shoma Chaascii117dhascii117ry downplayed the alleged rape in an email to staff, calling it an &ldqascii117o;ascii117ntoward incident&rdqascii117o; to be dealt with internally. Then a fascii117rther email of &ldqascii117o;ascii117nconditional apology&rdqascii117o; from Tejpal to the victim emerged, in which he spoke of attempting a &ldqascii117o;sexascii117al liaison&rdqascii117o; despite her &ldqascii117o;clear relascii117ctance&rdqascii117o;. Faced with a barrage of criticism, Chaascii117dhascii117ry also qascii117it, along with six other Tehelka staffers. In the latest development, Tejpal was this week sascii117mmoned to Goa for qascii117estioning by police and is on bail ascii117ntil Satascii117rday morning.
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