Death threats. Racist taunts. Vows of violence. Inside the increasingly personal attacks targeting Canadian female journalists and political pundits, there’s no evidence of a particular pattern.
The attacks by far a higher proportion of male reporters than female. They are, however, much more often reported in the media as harassment rather than as criminal threats.
“While the data on male reporters is somewhat limited across Canadian outlets, across the U.S. and elsewhere, a recent study found a staggering difference between the way sexualized harassment and threats against women in the workplace are covered,” said Jessica McKibben, a research director with the Canadian Association of University Teachers.
“Women are five times more likely to be threatened with sexual violence if they do not comply with sexual advances from a boss or supervisor and, as a result, work for fewer hours,” she said. “They are harassed at work six times more often.”
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The study, published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2014, found that women were more likely to receive threats than men if they did not comply with sexual advances. The study also found that women were more likely to be the targets of unwanted sexual advances.
“This study finds that sexualized harassment and abuse are being disproportionately reported as criminal offences but not as sexual harassment or abuse,” said Daniel Schwarcz, who wrote an editorial for The Nation, a Canadian journal of journalism, who called on journalists to recognize the real fear that women are experiencing. “Journalists would be derelict in their duty to provide unbiased, objective reporting if they do not also take the time to question the tactics being used.”
Mr. Schwarcz says much of what’s being reported to the press is being described as “harassment,” which is, technically, inappropriate behavior but is not criminal.
“The reality is that harassment and abuse is being framed as criminality,” said Mr. Schwarcz, who was born in Germany and lives in Toronto.
“Harassment in the workplace is, in fact, illegal. Harassment and abuse is, in fact, stalking. Harassment and