News Center- “There is significant potential for online violence to escalate to offline harm," Julie Posetti, research director of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), said at the Perugia International Journalism Festival on Saturday.

 “Women tend to face greater threats online and the kind of threats they face are increasing,” she added. She accused Big Tech companies of “a failure to take responsibility”.

In 2022, UNESCO and ICFJ conducted a joint study by UNESCO/ICFJ by interviewing 900 journalists from 125 countries. Nearly three-quarters of women journalists interviewed said they had experienced online violence or abuse in connection with their work.

The online attacks against women journalists include insults, sexist and sexual comments, and physical threats, including death threats to journalists and their families.