Covering sexual harassment

By Angela Trenkle

Sexual harassment is an issue that is found to be common in the sciences, but is not often discussed. To address this problem, DCSWA organized a session at their 2018 Professional Development Day that included a panel of four science journalists: April Simpson of Current, Andrea Widener of Chemical & Engineering News, and Meredith Wadman and Elizabeth Culotta, both from Science. Sara Reardon of Nature moderated the session.

These four panelists covered many aspects of sexual harassment in the sciences, while providing tips on what to do if you are covering a story that involves sexual harassment.

The panel began with each of the four journalists discussing their experiences covering sexual harassment in the sciences, including some incidents dating back 20 years. Next, the journalists talked about some of the more complex reasons why sexual harassment can be a difficult issue for the victim to come forward about, especially in the sciences. Finally, they talked about science journalism tips to use for when covering a story, then the panel took questions from the audience.

The panelists explained that many victims in the sciences keep silent because of one thing: a lack of power. The harasser, in many cases, is someone who tends to hold power over the victim. The harasser may also be in a position to enhance the victim’s career, whether by writing a letter of recommendation, acting as a mentor in graduate school, or leading a field excursion in a remote area.

With this background knowledge, if a science writer is covering a story in this area, it is important to ensure that the story is not only accurate, but is also approached in a way that the victim feels as though they are being heard and not accused.

Meredith Wadman provided some tips that are fairly easy to remember, but are important for science writers to know. First of all, it is important to build trust with the victims. Make sure to give them time and frame your questions as a curious requests, not an accusatory ones. Second, gather as much written documentation as possible. It could be as simple as a diary entry or a series of text messages, as long as it’s in writing. Finally, make sure to build time into the article publication schedule. It is safe to assume that the accuser will respond to the article and that lawyers will become involved at some point during the process.

Overall, the biggest take-home message from this session was the importance of continuing to fight for justice against sexual harassment in the sciences. By continuing to cover harassment in the sciences, using the journalism tips that the panel provided, science writers can do their part to ensure that this problem will not be tolerated by future generations.