How #MeToo Changed Journalism. Report by Reporters Without Borders

illustration: Bing AI

The #MeToo movement has permanently changed the media landscape, opening up space for discussions on gender-based violence and women’s rights worldwide. The report Journalism in the #MeToo Era, published in October 2024 by Reporters Without Borders, highlights how journalism has evolved under this movement’s influence, bringing structural changes, new initiatives and support networks, and new risks for journalists. This analysis examines how #MeToo has impacted the media and how journalists are adapting to new challenges and opportunities.

New Media and Feminist Initiatives

Since 2017, numerous media outlets have specialized in women’s rights, gender-based violence, and gender issues, as highlighted by Reporters Without Borders. Magazines like France’s La Déferlante or Somalia’s Bilan Media have become spaces for investigative reports that rarely reached the front pages before. “#MeToo helped us create feminist media,” says Marie Barbier, co-editor of La Déferlante. This magazine, launched partly through crowdfunding, sells 20,000 copies per issue, illustrating the growing interest in feminist journalism.

Bilan Media, Somalia’s first independent online media run by women, was launched in 2022. It has documented previously overlooked issues, such as sexual crimes in orphanages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, in Latin America, Brazil’s AzMina online magazine has shifted how women are portrayed in the media, rejecting language like “crime of passion” in favor of professional terminology.

• La Déferlante in France – 20,000 copies per issue
• Bilan Media in Somalia – reports on the opioid crisis among young women
• AzMina in Brazil – studies on domestic violence and mercury contamination among Indigenous populations

Newsroom Reorganization and New Roles

The #MeToo movement has also driven structural changes in newsrooms. New roles, such as gender editors, now ensure gender balance and fair representation of minorities. The New York Times was one of the first to appoint a gender editor responsible for promoting gender equality in articles and visualizations. Similar positions have emerged at El País and the BBC, where Gender Editor Megha Mohan focuses on women’s rights, and sexual and ethnic minorities.

The report "Journalism in the #MeToo Era" shows how this role is changing newsrooms, requiring them to include women’s and minority voices in their articles. Agence France-Presse (AFP) conducted an internal study that led to updated editorial guidelines, avoiding stereotypes and increasing the number of women experts cited in articles.

Media Outlet	New Position	Goal
The New York Times	Gender Editor	Equal gender and minority representation in media
BBC	Gender Editor	Focus on women’s rights and sexual and ethnic minorities
Agence France-Presse	Deputy Diversity Editor	Increased presence of women and avoidance of stereotypes in media

Support Networks and Cross-Border Investigations

One of #MeToo’s most significant accomplishments is the rise of international journalist networks dedicated to covering gender-based violence. These networks, like Youpress, enable large-scale investigations into femicides and other forms of violence against women. The study Femmes à abattre (“Women Marked for Death”), launched by Youpress, collected data on nearly 300 female activists murdered in 58 countries. “Our investigations document massive issues and influence policy change,” says Brigitte Leoni, a documentarian involved in network development.

• Youpress – femicide investigations in 58 countries
• Cenozo (Burkina Faso) – focus on women’s roles in elections and hygiene products

Threats to Journalists Covering Gender-Based Violence

Unfortunately, the rise in women’s rights articles has not come without consequences. The report Journalism in the #MeToo Era shows that over 60% of journalists covering gender-based violence have faced cyberbullying. “My personal data, phone number, and address leaked online,” shares Nigerian journalist Kiki Mordi, whose work led to changes in harassment laws at universities. Frequent relocations and the use of fake addresses have become routine for her.

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In Turkey and France, journalists also face cyberbullying and threats, especially when covering gender inequality. Turkish journalist Hale Gönültaş, who writes about the fate of Yazidi women, regularly receives death threats. In France, Salomé Saqué, working for Blast, deals with relentless online harassment.

• Kiki Mordi (Nigeria) – relocations due to cyberbullying
• Hale Gönültaş (Turkey) – death threats for reporting violence against women

A Catalyst for Change

The #MeToo movement has become a global catalyst for change, transforming journalism into a more open and conscious approach to issues related to women’s rights and gender-based violence. This phenomenon has not only strengthened journalists’ roles as advocates for social change but has also created space for new, feminist media that boldly tackle difficult topics and expose previously marginalized issues. Specialized positions, such as gender editors, have introduced professional standards for representing women and minorities, resulting in more diverse and credible content.

Analysts at Reporters Without Borders highlight that progress has brought risks – from cyberbullying to death threats – directed at journalists bravely addressing controversial topics. Despite these risks, media organizations and support networks like Youpress support journalists, enabling them to conduct international investigations. These changes prove that journalism is becoming more inclusive and socially aware, contributing to a media environment where women’s and minority voices grow louder and more visible.

The full report "Journalism in the #MeToo Era" can be downloaded from the Reporters Without Borders website:
https://rsf.org/en/voices-heard-repressed-rsf-s-new-report-journalism-metoo-era-calls-increased-support-journalists