United States: CFWIJ condemns harassment faced by Noelle D Lilley

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November 2, 2021, New York- A video has gone viral in which a male passerby can be seen harassing News 12 journalist Noelle D Lilley as she reports from the streets of New York. Noelle took to Twitter to express her discomfort and rage at the incident and received support from her colleagues. Several women journalists shared that they have faced similar incidents, shedding light on how prevelant sexual harassment of women journalists in the field is. 

Noelle came forth with the 53 second video on her Twitter account on October 31, 2021. In the video a man can clearly be seen attempting to engage the journalist even as she tries to cut their conversation short repeatedly reminding him that she is at work. He repeats the number “347” several times to her and when Noelle finally asks what the number means he says it is his number.

Noelle registered her anger at having to constantly dodge unwanted attention even as she makes it abundantly clear that she is on duty. She also shed light on the dangers women face if they are aggressive in their response to such miscreants. Fighting back often means risking a physical assault.

“And before anyone tries to tell me what I should or should not have done, remember that there’s no “right way” to respond to street harassment or someone making you feel unsafe. When you ignore them, they get violent. when you engage, they feel encouraged,” she wrote in another tweet.

Noelle received support from other women journalists in the field, who implied they’ve been through similar circumstances.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled at the comments Noelle D Lilley had to face. This is not an isolated incident but is symptomatic of a larger systemic issue. We have repeatedly raised the issue of sexism in the field, especially when it manifests itself as a potential physical 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.