Using Facebook to Discuss Aspects of Industry Safety: How Women Journalists Enact Ethics of Care in Online Professional Space

This survey-based case study explored members’ motives for using a closed Facebook group specifically for women journalists. Particularly, we explored a motivation based on the feminist ethics of care and members’ experiences of harassment, job satisfaction, and confidence in discussing safety issues with supervisors. Results indicated that gender-specific professional support and the ethics of care were primary motives for group use, and the ethics of care motive positively predicted job satisfaction. Additionally, those who experienced in-person harassment were more likely to be motivated by ethics of care, and the gender-specific professional support motive was related to confidence in discussing safety threats.

Sample

Participants were 161 journalists who are members of Nasty Writers Facebook group. The group, formed in October 2016, consists of more than 8700 members, and was originally labeled as a feminist group (it was named after a feminist icon from the 1990s), but has since removed its formal feminist designation. Still, many group members identify as feminists. The group's mission is “to bring together a diverse group of women, non-binary, gender non-conforming and transgender journalists that work in various platforms of media and storytelling … to network, seek advice as well as provide resources for those of all ages and levels of experience” (Nasty Writers 2020). The group was created by journalists in the United States, most members are based in the USA or are US journalists working abroad, and group content is posted in English.

Main Findings

Results from an online survey of the members found supporting evidences that gender-specific professional support and the ethics of care were the primary motives for using this group as well as other motives, such as social, professional brainstorming, and community motives. In fact, the ethics of care motive positively predicted the level of job satisfaction among the Facebook group members. That is, the members who were using the Facebook group to experience the feminist ethics of care were more likely to have stronger job satisfaction. We suspect this is because group members who are using the space to engage in care-based communication with other members get support and empowerment from the group, while at the same time feeling the sense of fulfillment that comes from extending care to others. A similar pattern emerged for social motive and confidence to discuss safety issues, where participants with strong social motives for using the closed Facebook group are more likely to be confident in discussing the safety issues at work with their supervisors. Interestingly, the community motive had a negative impact on the confidence to discuss safety issues. This may be because the community motive is not tied to a specific end-goal. Those who used the group for more specific purposes received benefits in the form of job satisfaction and confidence, but those who simply wanted to feel a sense of community without needing any specific guidance did not receive the same benefits from being a part of the group.

Policy recommendations/implications

We hope to showcase ways women journalists are communally prioritizing and sharing strategies for their professional safety, especially in ways that do not compromise their professional practices. And since many safety issues apply to all journalists, not just women, this can better inform newsroom editors of the concerns and needs of their staff, while simultaneously demonstrating that actions guided by the feminist ethics of care can strengthen collaboration among journalists in facing threats and challenges offline and online.