Tackling online hate: Dr Jack Black visits Sky Studios
In the world of news and entertainment, it’s not only those in front of the cameras that become targets for online abuse – it’s a growing issue for those behind the cameras, too.
Determined to help tackle the problem, Dr Jack Black (Associate Professor of Culture, Media, and Sport) recently visited Sky Studios to facilitate a workshop with Sky Sports staff.
But will the workshop lead to greater protection against online hate and abuse? Read our Q&A with Jack to find out.
How did the workshop opportunity come about?
The workshop was organised by a current journalist, who had connections with the Tackling Online Hate in Football project. They put us in contact with Jamie Hunt, Head of Digital Media at Sky Sports. Jamie was keen to tackle the problem of abuse directed at Sky staff and many of his concerns had chimed with research that we’d collected from sport journalists. This research involved 21 sports journalists, highlighting their experiences of receiving online hate and the personal and professional impact that this has had on them.
And the workshop was attended by staff from across the organisation?
The workshop was open to all Sky Sports staff, including journalists, production assistants, presenters, and video editors. It was great to hear these perspectives from across the organisation, emphasising that it’s not just those in front of the camera who are subject to abuse.
What was your biggest takeaway from the day?
A concerning one: for sports journalists, incidences of online hate and abuse have now become normalised and accepted as part of the job. In any job, receiving abuse should never be tolerated, but, due to the nature of the job and the topics it covers, journalists are increasingly being subjected to forms of online abuse that go beyond derogatory or abusive messaging.
Did the journalists raise their own concerns?
Journalists at the workshop spoke about personal information being released online in light of their reporting on sport. This was having an impact on their personal lives, with many now choosing not to share anything personal online. Their professional careers were also being affected, with some participants noting that they no longer wished to report on certain topics, such as transgender issues. It was clear that it’s not simply athletes who are subject to online abuse, but also those who work within sport and its associated industries.
What further actions will you be taking?
As part of the workshop’s outcomes, we’re now compiling feedback from the workshop’s 65 participants, as well as wider Sky Sports staff. This feedback synthesises the personal and professional impact that receiving hate has had on Sky Sports staff as well as some of the suggested coping mechanisms. The aim of this feedback is to provide Sky Sports with suggestions on how it can manage, support, and, more importantly, protect its staff from online hate and abuse.
Your feedback is potentially going to be used in other areas of the organisation, too?
Sky has discussed implementing our workshop feedback as part of its HR policy. This would be an incredible achievement, as it would underscore how the research is having a real-world impact on the personal and professional lives of those at Sky.
The research also highlighted that female journalists and broadcasters receive a greater level of hate compared to male colleagues. Sky is keen to explore this further, with future projects on the role of women in sport. Our research will likely be used in the telling of these stories.
Do you think social media companies are doing enough to tackle online abuse?
Social media companies haven’t done enough. It’s clear, from the way in which they’re organised and monetised, that the ‘sharing’ of hate is not necessarily something they wish to curb – especially when sharing is such an important part of maintaining online social media networks.
I also think we enjoy our ‘hate’, and that social media provides, at present, a useful platform to share and articulate this hate. Understanding this enjoyment, and its relation to social media platforms, is key to tackling and fighting for the social media we wish to see.
Looking ahead, is there an opportunity for colleagues to collaborate with you?
Of course. I’m always happy to discuss the research and the project with anyone interested in exploring the effects of online hate across media and society.
