The new threat to journalists from anti-vaxxers, covid-deniers
MEDIA WORKERS are being targeted by anti-vaxx forces in France, the UK and the USA.
Just this month:
- the BBC reported that its journalists have been verbally and physically attacked in the UK
- across the Channel in France, where demonstrations continued into their third week against plans for a vaccination passport to enter trains, restaurants and museums, anti-vaxxers stormed vaccination centres and journalists were physically attacked; some demonstrators were reported as carrying anti-Semitic placards and are now being investigated by police
- in the US, two journalists and another man were stabbed while covering an anti-vaxx demonstration in which many of the demonstrators were reported to be from the far-right Proud Boys and many wore Trump MAGA garb and US flags.
The BBC acknowledged verbal and physical attacks on journalists after anti-vaxx demonstrators rallied outside BBC and ITV premises.
Demonstrations reveal presence of far-right
The role of the far-right is clear in reports of anti-vaxx, anti-lockdown and related demonstrations. In July this year the Sydney Morning Herald reported counter-extreme researcher Dr Kaz Ross saying that Australia’s anti-lockdown demonstrations on the weekend “came from a loose coalition of far-right, conspiracy and libertarian groups, their numbers swelled by people who feel, rightly or wrongly, disenfranchised by government.
“They included some high-profile individuals as well as nationalists, so-called ‘sovereign citizens’, anti-vaccination groups, QAnon and Trump followers, and small business owners. …there were also followers of the anti-vaccination group Reignite Australia and members of evangelical Christian churches at the rallies, with some holding signs that read: ‘Jesus is my vaccine’.
The makeup of the demonstrations suggests a loose coalition of disparate organisations and individuals unintentionally or intentionally giving voice to far-right demands which go against Australian traditions of democracy.
Journalism is becoming dangerous
Cameras, mostly mobile phone cameras, are everywhere at the rallies, making it impossible to identify who is reporting as an independent citizen journalist and who is a propagandist for the anti-everything-to-do-with-effectively-desaling-with-the-pandemic forces. This is a product of a media-saturated age when a great many people carry camera-capable mobile phones in their pocket, recording and publishing on social media events that would have previously escaped scrutiny. Disturbing to those engaging in intimidation and violence at rallies is that the police as well as the public can view the video and still images and use them to identify participants. In this way, social media and websites become a source for open source intelligence gathering. If anything, this is likely to raise the ire of demonstrators against journalists.
Violence against journalists makes reporting a risky business. Not so long ago media workers were afforded neutrality by demonstrators who did not harass them. Now, that is changing in the West where the organs of democracy, a free press, is seen by opponents as an enemy.
Although the publication focuses on reporting war zones, the Reporters Without Borders Safety Guide for Journalists might suggest a few precautions to take when reporting potentially hostile anti-vaxx, anti-lockdown demonstrations.
