United Kingdom: 80% of Online Hate BBC Receives Directed at Disinformation Correspondent Marianna Spring
The award-winning reporter faces a barrage of hate and threats for her work exposing conspiracy movements.
Location: United Kingdom
Date: August 6, 2023
Marianna Spring has become the primary target of online abuse directed at the BBC, accounting for a staggering 80% of the total abusive comments leveled at the corporation. The Coalition For Women In Journalism has documented the relentless online harassment of Spring since 2020. We urge social media companies to act now to protect women journalists.
On August 6, data from BBC software, disclosed in an interview with Marianna Spring by The Times, exposed that out of 14,488 pieces of correspondence flagged for abusive content between January and June this year, a staggering 11,771 were aimed directly at Spring.
In response to these findings, Spring expressed a mix of emotions. She told the newspaper, "It's really normal to really hate me," and admitted that the figures relieved her as they validated her concerns about the abuse she has faced. "I'm not going mad," she said.
At just 27 years old, Spring has become a familiar face on the BBC, gaining recognition for her podcast series, Marianna in Conspiracyland, which has garnered almost 1.5 million listens.
Despite the relentless abuse, Spring remains steadfast in her commitment to her work, acknowledging that she is not alone in facing such harassment. However, she has highlighted the distressing reality that she now needs to be concerned about her physical safety in ways she never had to before, stating, "That is the thing I really don't like."
The Coalition For Women In Journalism has documented the repeated and vicious harassment Spring has endured since 2020. During the pandemic, Spring took on the challenging beat of disinformation amidst rampant conspiracy theories surrounding the virus's origins and the effectiveness of vaccines. Her work uncovering conspiracy theories has made her a target, with threats directed at her and her family.
In March 2023, her appearance on a BBC Panorama episode that explored the rise of disinformation and hate on Twitter, particularly following Elon Musk's takeover, exacerbated the attacks she faced.
The Panorama investigation featured research conducted by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and the University of Sheffield on the rise of misogynistic hate speech on Twitter since Elon Musk bought the company. The study focused on online violence targeting Spring and found that abuse against her tripled in the first three months of Musk's ownership. The research suggests that Musk's actions have undermined previous efforts by Twitter to protect women journalists.
In response, the billionaire sarcastically apologized for turning the platform into a breeding ground for trolls, inadvertently triggering a wave of intensified abuse towards Spring. She likened the experience to the "Wild West," where a devoted group of followers interpreted Musk's tweet as a signal to inundate her with hateful messages.
Organized Troll Campaigns Targeting Women Journalists
Insidious coordinated online trolling campaigns have become a distressing reality for journalists. In 2023, CFWIJ documented concerted attempts to smear the reputations of women journalists in Ireland, Ukraine, Georgia, Finland, and China. These campaigns, orchestrated to tarnish reputations, have mainly targeted women journalists, perpetuating a toxic environment rampant with sexism and misogyny. Not only do they damage a journalist’s professional standing and credibility, but they also take a heavy toll on their emotional well-being. The repercussions are far-reaching, as these campaigns often coerce journalists into self-censorship, stifling their ability to report.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed by the level and viciousness of the harassment faced by Marianna Spring. We applaud her for continuing to report and expose the prevalence of conspiracy theories despite the backlash she experiences. We urge powerful social media companies, particularly Meta and Twitter, to act now to put policies, blocking, and reporting mechanisms in place that will allow women journalists like Marianna Spring to limit the barrage of abuse they face on their platforms.
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.