Violence in Editorial Offices: Colleagues and Supervisors as the Most Common Perpetrators, Majority of Cases Unreported
Every other female journalist has experienced sexual harassment: presented results of the research on violence against women in Croatian media
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the results of the regional research Women in the Media – Ending Workplace Harassment were presented, revealing the extent of sexual harassment, violence, discrimination, and violations of the labor rights of female journalists. The research was conducted in 2025 in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the Croatian segment led by the Croatian Journalists' Association, and the research in Croatia was conducted by Dina Vozab and Emil Čančar.
The regional survey was conducted with over 600 media workers, and the results show that every other female journalist/media worker has experienced sexual harassment, with half of the cases originating from colleagues in the newsroom and a third from superiors. The majority of media outlets lack preventive measures or clear procedures, and 50% of female journalists are unaware of whether the protection mechanisms cover sexual harassment. A significant majority of cases remain unreported due to fear of job loss, retaliation, and distrust in the newsroom.
RESULTS IN CROATIA
In Croatia, from 2021 to 2024, a total of 86 attacks and threats against journalists and media outlets were reported (HND). The results indicate that nearly 60% of surveyed female journalists have not experienced threats or physical attacks, while almost 29% have faced threats, and 12.5% have received death threats. In the majority of cases (45%), the perpetrators were citizens encountered by journalists in the field, while in 40% of the cases, the perpetrators were individuals they reported on. 44% of female journalists report experiencing discrimination based on gender or sex, citing non-compliance with working hours and the right to rest as the most common forms of labor rights violations. 57% of female journalists have encountered unwanted comments based on gender and female sexuality, with colleagues in the newsroom being the most frequently cited source of these comments. They are also the most common perpetrators of sexual harassment in newsrooms (48%), slightly more than superiors (33%). In cases of sexual assaults, the perpetrators are most often colleagues from the newsroom (60%), followed by superiors (30%). A total of 39% of women reported experiencing sexual assault. Some insights from interviews suggest that there are both internal (poor working conditions, discrimination due to motherhood, daily inappropriate comments, fear of stigmatization in case of reporting attacks or harassment) and external negative influences (real-life violence, pervasive online harassment, political rhetoric that incites attacks portraying journalists as legitimate targets…)
The research shows that every second female journalist has experienced sexual harassment during her career, and as many as one-third of respondents have faced inappropriate and unwanted physical touching. Harassment most often originates from within the newsrooms – from colleagues and superiors. There have also been recorded instances of explicit threats and sexual offers in exchange for professional benefits.
These data point to deeply rooted patterns of inequality and violence that shape the daily lives of female journalists in Croatia and the region. The consequences are not only personal and professional – they also affect the quality of journalism, as fear, self-censorship, and the absence of institutional support directly threaten media freedoms. The research also shows that existing protection mechanisms are inadequate or unknown, which further discourages women from reporting violence. Therefore, one of the key conclusions of the research is the urgent need for the introduction of clear procedures, education, and zero-tolerance policies to ensure that newsrooms become safe workplaces rather than spaces where violence is silenced and normalized.
Based on these results, we will continue to collaborate with partner organizations and newsrooms within the project and will develop concrete proposals and tools for building effective protection mechanisms for female journalists. The goal is to empower newsrooms to establish clear protocols, zero-tolerance policies, and support systems that will provide women in media with safe working conditions and timely responses in cases of violence, harassment, or discrimination.
View the presentation of the results at this link.
Source: VIDA
