Sexual harassment is a structural barrier that shapes who feels safe to lead in journalism
Across 21 countries and thousands of newsrooms, a new study confirms what many journalists have long endured in silence: sexual harassment is not an aberration in media workplaces but a structural condition, one that falls most heavily on women and is met, more often than not, with institutional indifference. The research — spanning continents from Sub-Saharan Africa to Southeast Asia — reveals that fear of professional consequence keeps nearly seven in ten incidents unreported, leaving a pattern of harm largely invisible to the systems meant to address it. In Bangladesh, where female journalists face harassment at nearly six times the rate of their male peers, the first formal newsroom response protocol has been introduced, a small but deliberate step toward accountability in an industry that has long normalized silence.
- A global study of over 2,800 media professionals finds that one in three has experienced workplace sexual harassment, with women bearing the burden at more than twice the rate of men.
- Sixty-nine percent of those harassed say nothing — not because the harm is minor, but because speaking up risks the careers they have worked to build.
- Even when cases are reported, employers respond meaningfully in only 65 percent of instances, exposing a culture where accountability is the exception rather than the rule.
- In Bangladesh, the gender gap is especially severe: female journalists report verbal harassment at six times the rate of male colleagues, and nearly half face online abuse tied to their work.
- BBC Media Action has introduced Bangladesh's first formal newsroom sexual harassment protocol, offering a structural path forward where good intentions alone have repeatedly failed.
- Researchers warn that unaddressed harassment does not merely wound individuals — it quietly reshapes who feels safe enough to enter, remain in, and lead journalism.
A major multi-country study has found that nearly seven in ten cases of sexual harassment in media workplaces go unreported, with women facing the consequences at dramatically higher rates than men. Conducted by WAN-IFRA Women in News, City St George's University of London, and BBC Media Action, the research surveyed more than 2,800 journalists across 21 countries spanning Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab region, and Ukraine.
Globally, about one in three media professionals has experienced workplace sexual harassment. Women face verbal sexual harassment at 2.4 times the rate of men and are nearly twice as likely to experience work-related online harassment. A quarter of all respondents reported physical harassment, and five percent of women identified as rape survivors. When incidents were reported, employers took action in only 65 percent of cases — and even then, responses were often informal. The dominant reason for silence was fear of career damage.
Africa recorded the highest prevalence at 33 percent, followed by the Arab region at 31 percent. Bangladesh, surveyed for the first time, reported 17 percent of its 339 respondents experiencing harassment — but the gender disparity there is especially acute. Female journalists are nearly six times more likely than male colleagues to face harassment. Sixty percent of women reported verbal sexual harassment, compared with nine percent of men, and 48 percent experienced online harassment versus 15 percent of men. Of those women who did report verbal harassment, 43 percent said their employers took no action.
Dr. Lindsey Blumell noted that harassment erodes newsrooms from within, diminishing job satisfaction and pushing people out of journalism entirely. Susan Makore of WAN-IFRA Women in News described the silence as evidence of deeper institutional failure — a structural barrier determining who can safely participate in and lead the profession.
In response, BBC Media Action has been working in Bangladesh to build capacity among female journalists and media leaders. In March, it launched the country's first formal sexual harassment response protocol for newsrooms — a concrete framework designed to replace the absence of process with a clear path to accountability. The protocol is a meaningful beginning, but the study's findings make plain that transforming newsroom culture globally remains a long and unfinished task.
Nearly seven in ten cases of sexual harassment in media workplaces never get reported. That statistic comes from a sweeping study that surveyed more than 2,800 journalists and media professionals across 21 countries—from Southeast Asia to Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab region, and Ukraine. The research, conducted jointly by WAN-IFRA Women in News, City St George's University of London, and BBC Media Action, paints a picture of an industry where silence is the norm and accountability is rare.
About one in three media professionals globally have experienced sexual harassment at work. But the burden falls overwhelmingly on women. Female journalists face verbal sexual harassment at 2.4 times the rate of their male colleagues, and are 1.8 times more likely to experience online harassment tied to their work. A quarter of all respondents reported physical harassment. Five percent of women and four percent of men said they were rape survivors. These are not edge cases. They are patterns.
When survivors do speak up, the response is often inadequate. Organizations took action in only 65 percent of reported incidents, and even then, those actions tended to be informal or limited in scope. The gap between what happens and what gets reported is the real crisis. Sixty-nine percent of people who experienced harassment chose silence, usually out of fear that coming forward would damage their careers.
The problem is not uniform across regions. Africa shows the highest prevalence at 33 percent of respondents reporting harassment, followed by the Arab region at 31 percent. Southeast Asia recorded 19 percent. Ukraine, included in such a study for the first time, reported 12 percent. Bangladesh, surveyed for the first time alongside countries like Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan, showed 17 percent of its 339 respondents experiencing workplace sexual harassment—slightly below the Asian regional average but still substantial.
In Bangladesh specifically, the gender disparity is stark. Female journalists are nearly six times more likely than male colleagues to face harassment. Sixty percent of female respondents reported verbal sexual harassment compared with nine percent of men. Nearly half of women—48 percent—experienced online harassment connected to their work, versus 15 percent of men. A quarter of female respondents reported physical sexual harassment; four percent of men did. Among those women who experienced verbal harassment, 52 percent did not report it. Of those who did report, 43 percent said their employers took no action.
Dr. Lindsey Blumell of City St George's University of London noted that sexual harassment corrodes newsrooms from within. It decreases job satisfaction and increases the likelihood that people will leave journalism altogether. Susan Makore, managing director of WAN-IFRA Women in News, framed the silence as a symptom of deeper institutional failure. "When the majority of sexual harassment cases continue to go unreported, it signals a deeper failure of workplace culture, trust and accountability," she said. "Sexual harassment in media is not an isolated workplace issue, it is a structural barrier that shapes who feels safe to participate, stay, and lead within journalism."
BBC Media Action has been working in Bangladesh to shift this landscape. The organization has trained female journalists, convened discussions with media leaders, and established harassment response groups. In March of this year, it unveiled Bangladesh's first formal sexual harassment response protocol for newsrooms—a document designed to give journalists a clear path forward when they experience abuse. The protocol represents an acknowledgment that change requires structure, not just good intentions. But one protocol in one country cannot address a global pattern. The study makes clear that the work of building safe newsrooms is far from over.
Citas Notables
Sexual harassment has a deeply negative impact on those who experience it and the general working atmosphere in newsrooms. Experiencing it decreases job satisfaction and increases risk of leaving the industry.— Dr. Lindsey Blumell, City St George's University of London
When the majority of sexual harassment cases continue to go unreported, it signals a deeper failure of workplace culture, trust and accountability. Sexual harassment in media is a structural barrier that shapes who feels safe to participate, stay, and lead within journalism.— Susan Makore, Managing Director of WAN-IFRA Women in News
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does the reporting rate matter so much? If two-thirds of cases go unreported, doesn't that mean the real number is much higher than the statistics show?
Exactly. The 69 percent figure is almost more important than the 29 percent who experienced harassment. It tells us that the official count—the incidents organizations know about and can theoretically address—is missing most of the actual harm. The real prevalence is hidden.
And the fear of career damage—that's what keeps people quiet?
That's the dominant reason in Bangladesh, at least. When you're a woman in journalism, already navigating a male-dominated field, reporting harassment feels like it could end your career rather than protect it. The calculation is: stay silent and keep working, or speak up and risk everything.
The study says organizations took action in only 65 percent of reported cases. What does "action" even mean in that context?
That's the gap nobody wants to talk about. The study notes these actions are often informal or limited. It could mean a conversation, a warning, a transfer. It rarely means real accountability or systemic change. So even when someone finds the courage to report, the response is often inadequate.
Why is Bangladesh being studied for the first time now?
The researchers were expanding beyond the usual countries. Bangladesh, Somalia, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia—these are places where media harassment data has been sparse or nonexistent. The study wanted a more complete global picture, not just the countries already in the conversation.
The protocol BBC Media Action launched in March—is that a solution?
It's a beginning. Having a formal process gives people a roadmap and signals that the organization takes this seriously. But a protocol only works if people trust it, if they believe using it won't destroy their career. That's the deeper culture shift that still needs to happen.