United Kingdom: CFWIJ condemns the persistent harassment against journalist Rosamund Urwin
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May 28, 2021 - Rosamund Urwin, a columnist and senior feature writer at the London Evening Standard, shared the story of persistent harassment she has faced for the past two years. In a Twitter thread on May 14, the journalist shared that the stalker responsible for harassing her has arrived in London. Rosamund stated that the last time he was in the area he visited her office before going on the run and remained untraceable for days. While explaining the details of the ordeal, she revealed how the unsettling experience left her emotionally drained. She explained the agony of being unable to locate the stalker for many days, leaving her distraught over his whereabouts. The persistent threat to her safety has caused a great deal of anxiety to Rosamund, affecting her mental and physical health. It is extremely difficult for a journalist to continue her work while constantly fearing a potential attack. CFWIJ is horrified to learn that the online attacks have morphed into a dangerous reality for a working journalist. We urge law enforcement and cybersecurity authorities to apprehend the stalker to provide the needed protection to Rosamund Urwin.
Rosamund shared that the harassment started on Twitter. Since then, she has scaled back her activity on the social media platform. She mentioned that journalists are often judged for their social media following and how such sites can be particularly menacing towards both women and ethnic minorities. Rosamund highlighted that she is aware of many women journalists who have experienced incidents far worse than hers. She has been subjected to death threats and a barrage of abuse for the past two years, including while she was pregnant.
His stalking started on twitter so since that time I’ve done less and less on here. Of course it’s one metric journalists are judged on - their social media following - but this site can be so horrific for both women and those from ethnic minorities that you fall behind.
— Rosamund Urwin (@RosamundUrwin) May 14, 2021
The journalist expressed that the onslaught of abuse came her way when she broke the Operation Yellowhammer— a no-deal Brexit— story in August 2019. It was then when Rosamund realized that she was being targeted for doing her job. She also recalled when former MP and chancellor Michael Gove tweeted her directly and initiated a series of abuse. The pattern is similarly repeated whenever someone with a popular platform says something critical, inciting incessant abuse from their followers.
His stalking started on twitter so since that time I’ve done less and less on here. Of course it’s one metric journalists are judged on - their social media following - but this site can be so horrific for both women and those from ethnic minorities that you fall behind.
— Rosamund Urwin (@RosamundUrwin) May 14, 2021
The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands that authorities track down and take serious action against stalkers who prey on women journalists. We also acknowledge the efforts and dedicated work of Rosamund and fellow journalists who continue to pursue their passion despite the ever-present dangers. CFWIJ offers our full support to Rosamund through this tumultuous time.
