New Zealand: Holly Henry shares with her audience the sexism she faces at work-CFWIJ extends solidarity
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October 29, 2021, Christchurch- Holly Henry, a reporter based in Christchurch, took to her social media to report the harassment and abuse she faces as a field reporter. The nature of the abuse is expectedly gendered. However, it was disheartening to see women also add to the harassment she had to face. Holly received support from her followers but there was little response from the relevant authorities despite the fact that the matter needed urgent redressal.
Holly posted a behind the scenes video of her work as a live on-field reporter on her TikTok account to share the harassment and abuse she is routinely subject to on the job. In the video, her audience can hear several abusive and vile comments directed towards Holly, entirely unprovoked.
"So while I've been set up to go live to do my job I have been completely harassed," Henry says in the video at one point, "I just had a man call me a c-word out his window."
She also shared that some young men had made “sex noises” at her and a passerby had screamed a sexual remark at her. A woman also screamed at Holly, calling her a "big fat ho".
tio@hollyhenrynews Do you think they feel good about themselves ? Behind the scenes look at the abuse we face reporting the news ##fyp ##news ##abuse ##tvnews
♬ original sound - Holly Henry
Holly received support from her followers in the comments section. However, we must remain cognizant that the video she put up was not of an isolated incident. The harassment she faces is indicative of a pervasive problem in the news media industry regarding the safety of women reporters who work on the field.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled at the comments Holly Henry has had to face. We have repeatedly raised the issue of sexism in the field, specially when it manifests itself as potential danger for women reporters and journalists. Law enforcement authorities need to take a serious look into the matter to ensure the safety of women operating on the field. News media organizations should also look into coming up with a safety mechanism for their on-field women reporters.
