By Mariana Belloso
Gender-based violence in newsrooms remains a threat to freedom of expression, panelists at the IAPA warned during a forum titled “Sexual Harassment in Newsrooms: Prevention, Response, and Leadership to Build Safe Workplaces.”
By Mariana Belloso
Nearly one in four cases of violence reported in the media involves sexual harassment, panelists said Sunday during the forum “Sexual Harassment in Newsrooms: Prevention, Response, and Leadership to Build Safe Workplaces,” held as part of the 82nd General Assembly of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). The experts warned that full press freedom cannot exist as long as journalists continue to face unsafe working environments.
Threats to press freedom in the Americas are often associated with authoritarian governments, organized crime, censorship, physical violence, or judicial persecution. Yet another, less visible threat persists: the violence women journalists face within their own newsrooms. This was the subject discussed by Colombian journalist Jineth Bedoya Lima, gender editor at El Tiempo; journalist and writer Claudia Palacios; Bibiana Aído, UN Women’s Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean; and legal expert Catalina Botero, former Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The discussion was moderated by journalist Graciela Rock, chair of the IAPA’s Gender Equity and Diversity Commission.
Rock cited data illustrating the scale of the problem. According to the report Media Without Violence, published in 2024 by organizations across the region, nearly half of the cases of violence reported by journalists occurred in their own workplaces, and 28% involved sexual harassment. In addition, in nearly half of the reported cases, the perpetrator held a higher-ranking position than the victim.
Despite these high numbers, few women journalists file formal complaints, and those who do often face workplace retaliation. In more than half of the known cases, perpetrators face no sanctions. “A journalist who cannot report harassment within her own newsroom has far less room to pursue an uncomfortable investigation, question editorial decisions, or even remain in the profession,” Rock warned.
Jineth Bedoya Lima recalled that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ ruling in Bedoya Lima et al. v. Colombia established, for the first time, specific standards addressing the distinct forms of violence faced by women journalists. The ruling recognized that attacks against them often involve sexual and gender-based violence that does not affect male journalists in the same way.
“When eight out of ten women in a newsroom are affected by gender-based violence, we have to stop and ask ourselves what is happening,” she said. Bedoya stressed that newsrooms must understand and apply these standards not only to protect women journalists but also to ensure that those who produce news can do their jobs in safe conditions.
Claudia Palacios, for her part, recounted experiences of harassment throughout her professional career. She recalled that, during her early years in the media, comments about women’s bodies were part of everyday life and were perceived as normal within organizational culture.
“It was as normal as the demands of journalism. I didn’t even have a name for it,” she explained.
The journalist described how she learned to live with that environment because she understood it to be part of the profession’s unspoken rules. Years later, however, after returning to Colombia following a period working in the United States, she began to recognize these behaviors as forms of harassment and to question practices that had been normalized for decades.
The problem will not be solved simply by sanctioning individuals; it also requires dismantling organizational cultures that have tolerated unacceptable behavior for years, she added.
Jineth Bedoya referred to a recent complaint she herself filed with Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office. The journalist revealed that, following a training process conducted in the El Tiempo newsroom, she decided to report a prominent journalist who had worked at the outlet for more than 25 years and who allegedly harassed several interns and journalists. “The first thing we have to do is acknowledge that the problem exists,” she said. “We cannot come here and talk about figures without committing ourselves to taking action.”
For Bedoya, institutional silence remains one of the main obstacles to addressing the problem, particularly because many media outlets fear the reputational damage that could result from publicly acknowledging that harassment has occurred within their organizations.
Legal expert Catalina Botero discussed the experience of Colombia’s Caracol Televisión, where sexual harassment complaints were filed against high-profile figures within the organization.
She explained that an effective response requires three essential conditions: acknowledging and learning from past experiences; involving the entire organization, including journalists, technical staff, and executives; and securing genuine commitment from the highest levels of leadership.
Botero stressed that protocols must be clear, accessible, and credible. She also highlighted the need for independent mechanisms to investigate complaints and for individuals with sufficient authority to make decisions. “The most important thing is that when something happens, there are consequences,” she said.
From a regional perspective, Bibiana Aído argued that this problem also affects democracy. “Violence against women journalists directly affects the quality of our democracies and press freedom,” she said.
The UN Women regional director noted that 75% of women journalists have experienced digital violence in the course of their work and that 45% have resorted to self-censorship as a result of these attacks. In addition, one-quarter report symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress, anxiety, or depression.
Aído emphasized that these attacks often serve a “disciplining” function, sending a message to other women journalists not to investigate, speak out, or occupy visible positions.
The panelists agreed that media outlets cannot demand transparency, accountability, and respect for human rights from others if they are unwilling to examine their own internal practices.
The discussion concluded with a call for media organizations of all sizes and types—national, regional, and digital—to adopt clear protocols, establish safe reporting channels, collect data, and promote sustained cultural change.
