Amenințări la adresa libertății presei: intimidarea, hărțuirea și agresarea jurnaliștilor

Abstract

All over the world investigative journalism involves tremendous risks. Attacks and aggressions aimed to intimidate, humiliate, or discrediting journalists and even to undermine the credibility of the media are a growing phenomenon in the digital world. Threats to the freedom of press include various types of intimidation, harassment, or attacks, while women journalists often face gender-specific forms of violence. In this study we investigate the most common forms of intimidation and pressure that journalists face in Romania: attacks from the politicians, intimidation through lawsuits, aggressive reactions from the public, various types of digital harassment including hacking, doxing and identity spoofing, online sexual attacks against women, physical violence. Any form of aggression, besides the direct effects on victims, represents threat to the freedom of the press, and must be publicly denounce.