Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy: Statement in Response to Targeted Harassment of Canadian Journalist

September 18, 2023

We are delighted to announce that Rachel Gilmore has joined the Centre for Media, Technology & Democracy in a research capacity and we will be sharing details of her project soon. In the interim, we felt the need to comment on the current situation. Journalists are integral to fostering a free and informed society, which is at the heart of a healthy democracy — it is unacceptable that journalists in Canada are paying a price for that commitment, including having their personal safety jeopardized.  

The misogynistic targeting of Rachel’s gender in the sustained online abuse she receives cannot go unnoticed. Nor can we ignore the escalation of Rachel’s online abuse spilling out into the real world, which has recently included stalking. We know from mounting evidence that women journalists face chilling abuse, both online and off, which is only intensified if they are Black, Indigenous, people of colour and/or members of the LGBTQ2+ community.

There is no ambiguity—  journalists, women, and historically marginalized communities have a fundamental right to safety; we are committed to reforming online spaces and informing policies that safeguard these democratic rights.