A new multi-country study released today by WAN-IFRA Women in News, City St George’s, University of London, and BBC Media Action reveals that sexual harassment remains a persistent issue in media workplaces worldwide, with one in three survey respondents reporting some form of harassment.
Study Scope and Methodology
The study draws on responses from more than 2,800 media employees, making it one of the largest datasets on sexual harassment in newsrooms to date. Respondents include professionals in journalism, administration, HR, production, marketing, and management, providing a comprehensive view across media organisations.
Conducted across 21 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab region, Southeast Asia, and Ukraine, the 2025 study finds that on average, 29% of media professionals surveyed reported experiencing sexual harassment.
Underreporting Remains Widespread
Across all genders, 69% of those who experienced harassment did not report it, continuing a pattern of underreporting seen in earlier studies. When survivors did report, organisations took action in only 65% of cases, often through limited or informal measures.
Fear of retaliation, lack of trusted reporting mechanisms, and low confidence in organisational response are key reasons harassment goes unreported, reflecting structural barriers and a lack of accountability across media workplaces.
Gender Disparities
Globally, women are 2.4 times more likely than men to experience verbal sexual harassment and 1.8 times more likely to face online sexual harassment. Physical harassment and rape remain consistent threats, with a quarter of respondents reporting physical harassment and 5% of women and 4% of men citing they are rape survivors.
The research highlights a persistent gender gap in participation and reporting. Lower response and reporting rates among men suggest sexual harassment is still widely perceived as primarily a women’s issue, despite its broader implications for newsroom culture, power dynamics, and journalistic integrity.
Regional Variations
Findings show significant regional disparities. Prevalence rates are highest in Africa (33%) and the Arab Region (31%), compared with 19% in Southeast Asia and 12% in Ukraine, which was included for the first time in 2025.
Dr Lindsey Blumell of City St George’s, University of London, said: “Sexual harassment has a deeply negative impact on those who experience it and the general working atmosphere in newsrooms. Our research shows that no matter the type of harassment, experiencing it decreases job satisfaction, increases risk of leaving the industry, and leads to many other negative mental and physical consequences for victims and survivors. Underreporting reflects a lack of trust in reporting systems and signals an overall acceptance of violence in newsrooms.”
From Evidence to Action
The survey provides insight into how workplace cultures in media organisations have evolved over the past five years and where change has stalled. Experts point to key areas for action: policies, training, support systems for survivors, and collective engagement.
Valeria Perasso, Media Development Advisor at BBC Media Action, said: “Addressing sexual harassment is not only a matter of individual protection, but of newsroom governance and journalistic integrity. Unsafe and unequal workplace cultures create structural barriers that limit who can participate, lead, and shape editorial decisions, and ultimately, journalism suffers. We hope this report will inform organisational action and leadership practices in individual newsrooms and across the media sector.”
Susan Makore, Managing Director of WAN-IFRA Women in News, added: “When the majority of sexual harassment cases continue to go unreported, it signals a deeper failure of workplace culture, trust, and accountability. Sexual harassment in media is a structural barrier that shapes who feels safe to participate, stay, and lead within journalism. Media organisations must invest in sustained awareness raising, training, and sensitisation at all levels to shift workplace cultures, strengthen reporting mechanisms, and ensure harassment is recognised, addressed, and not normalised.”
