Let’s talk about sexism in journalism | Roberta Cavaglià

Roberta Cavaglià, an Italian freelance journalist based in Barcelona, investigated sexism in Italy’s journalism schools together with colleagues Francesca Candioli and Stefania Prandi. Between February and October 2024, they interviewed over 200 students and sources who had attended one of the ten journalism schools recognized by the national journalists’ association. Their findings exposed widespread sexism: half of the respondents reported witnessing or experiencing harassment, including verbal and sexual harassment, attempted assault, stalking, blackmail, and gender discrimination. Many provided detailed accounts, names, emails, and screenshots. Abusers included teachers, tutors, colleagues, and journalists in internship settings. Yet none of the victims had reported the abuse to authorities, largely out of fear: of losing precarious jobs, of not being believed, or of facing humiliation.

Cavaglià argues that harassment is a mechanism to push women out of public space and shape a media system dominated by older heterosexual men. She is passionate about exposing these injustices, especially given Italy’s shortcomings in addressing gender-based violence compared to Spain. She sees a major feminist challenge in the backlash after #MeToo and warns that internal divisions within feminism may weaken future progress.

Three women that inspire Roberta Cavaglià

Three Portuguese writers, also known as the Three Marias:

• Maria Isabel Barrero
• Maria Teresa Orta
• Maria Veguilla Costa

Find about more about “The Three Marias” on Roberta’s newsletter, Iberica [Italian only].

This is part of WP1 | T.1.2. PRODUCTION OF ORIGINAL MULTIMEDIA CONTENTS: RESEARCH, STUDIES, ARCHIVAL MATERIALS, TESTIMONIES OF WITNESSES