Journalists are among the unsung heroes of the pandemic. Reporters, producers, subeditors, camera operators and many others continue to lift the national mood with stories of joy and hope and fearlessly bring us reliable, fact-based reporting at a time when the rise in false and misleading information is threatening public health. But there are too many reports of decent hard-working people who put the public interest at the heart of what they do falling victim to violence or having their safety threatened - whether that is being punched in the street, threatened with knives or subject to rape and death threats.
Westminster plan aims to protect journalists from abuse and threats heraldscotland.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from heraldscotland.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Last modified on Tue 9 Mar 2021 06.58 EST
The UK’s first national action plan aimed at protecting journalists from abuse and harassment has been published by the government with the backing of police and union leaders.
Reporters have told of suffering abuse and attacks, such as being punched, threatened with knives, forcibly detained and subjected to rape and death threats, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said.
Commitments in the action plan include training for police officers and journalists, while prosecution services across the UK have reaffirmed their commitment to taking a robust approach to crimes against reporters.
Plan sets out how journalists will be protected from threats of violence and intimidation Includes new measures to research the problem and training for.