Ireland: CFWIJ condemns the online harassment and intimidation of TV presenter Emer O’Neill — Irish authorities must act to protect the broadcaster from abuse

Location:  Ireland, Dublin
Date: January 31, 2023

Online abuse targeting a black Irish TV presenter Emer O’Neill has escalated to physical intimidation. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is concerned with the racist undertone of the trolling. We request that concerned authorities take preventive measures so the journalist can continue her duties.

Emer O’Neill, a presenter for Irish national broadcaster RTÉ has been subjected to a flood of abuse after writing an Instagram post on January 7 criticizing a popular Irish comedian for a racist joke made during his live show. The abuse aimed at O’Neill has attempted to discredit her work and target her race. “Initially it kind of started as an attack on me personally,” she said to Newstalk, “with things like, I tried it as a presenter, I was terrible, I failed, this was my way of getting fame.”

The comedian, Tommy Tiernan, has since apologized for the joke and has removed it from his set. However, the harassment of O’Neill has continued.

The online trolling of O’Neill increased as media coverage of the incident grew, the presenter has received thousands of comments online and has shared screenshots of the abuse she has been subjected to on Twitter. Her family have also been targeted with her husband receiving messages and emails.

Please do not say you are shocked when you hear about racism EVER again!!There is nothing to be shocked about. It is on our doorstep, it is coming from our friends, family, neighbours. It is in broad daylight. Real accounts, real people with no hesitancy to share their hate pic.twitter.com/LTm36vatIt

— Emer O’Neill (@EmerONeill14) January 23, 2023

Online harassment has escalated to offline abuse as threats against O’Neill have been graffitied in her local town and she has been confronted in public by people unhappy with her criticism of the comedian. “It’s very scary. It’s not enough that I’m being lambasted online, it’s now happening to me in person,” she told The Sunday Times.

O’Neill, a black Irish presenter, and activist has been vocal about the need for the Irish government to provide services to support members of the public who experience racist abuse. She has also highlighted the need for anti-racism services to be introduced to public institutions. “I’m a perfect example of a person who goes through racist trauma,” she said to The Sunday Times.“There are no facilities for support, no community liaison. When it happens here you are left on your own.”

The non-profit Irish Network Against Racism, which monitors racist incidents in the country, has noted an increase in racist abuse and hate speech in Ireland in 2022. O’Neill’s determination to speak out about her experience has encouraged several high-profile black Irish women to speak publicly about their experiences of racism in the country.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism extends its support to Emer O’Neill and demands an end to harassment against her. We urge Irish authorities to provide services to support the presenter to allow her to continue her work without fear of physical and online harassment. Journalists of minority communities, and in particular women and LGBTQ+ persons, are vital to creating a more inclusive and democratic press. Their voices must not be silenced due to harassment and intimidation. CFWIJ strongly condemns racist discrimination of any form.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.