This is a Plain English Papers summary of a research paper called Empowering journalists against online harassment: A tool-based approach. If you like these kinds of analysis, you should join AImodels.fyi or follow me on Twitter.

Overview

• This paper presents PressProtect, a tool to help journalists navigate social media and address online harassment.
• The researchers conducted interviews with journalists to understand their experiences with online harassment.
• They then designed and developed PressProtect, a tool that provides journalists with customized recommendations and strategies for managing harassment.
• The paper discusses the key features and design of PressProtect, as well as insights from a user study with journalists.

Plain English Explanation

Understanding journalists' experiences with online harassment

• Journalists often face harassment and abuse when sharing their work on social media.
• The researchers interviewed journalists to learn more about their experiences with online harassment, including the types of harassment they face and how it impacts their work and wellbeing.
• The interviews revealed that journalists frequently encounter personal attacks, threats, and coordinated harassment campaigns that can be overwhelming and distressing.

Designing PressProtect to support journalists

• Based on the insights from the interviews, the researchers developed PressProtect, a tool to help journalists better manage online harassment.
• PressProtect provides journalists with personalized recommendations and strategies for responding to and mitigating harassment, such as tips for securing their accounts, managing their online presence, and dealing with threatening messages.
• The tool also includes features to help journalists document and report harassment incidents, as well as access to a community of peers who can provide support and advice.

Evaluating PressProtect with journalists

• The researchers conducted a user study with journalists to assess the effectiveness and usability of PressProtect.
• The study found that journalists found the tool helpful in navigating the challenges of online harassment, and that the customized recommendations and community support were particularly valuable.
• However, the researchers also identified areas for improvement, such as the need for more advanced features for managing harassment campaigns and better integration with existing social media workflows.

Technical Explanation

Understanding community experiences of online harassment

• The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 journalists to understand their experiences with online harassment.
• The interviews explored the types of harassment the journalists faced, the impact on their work and wellbeing, and the strategies they currently use to manage harassment.
• Key findings include the prevalence of personal attacks, coordinated harassment campaigns, and threats of violence, which can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and self-censorship among journalists.

Designing PressProtect

• Based on the interview insights, the researchers designed PressProtect, a web-based tool to help journalists navigate and mitigate online harassment.
• PressProtect provides customized recommendations and strategies for managing harassment, including tips for securing social media accounts, responding to threatening messages, and documenting incidents.
• The tool also includes features for accessing a community of peers, reporting harassment to relevant authorities, and integrating with existing social media workflows.

Evaluating PressProtect

• The researchers conducted a user study with 12 journalists to assess the effectiveness and usability of PressProtect.
• Participants found the tool helpful in addressing online harassment, particularly the personalized recommendations and community support features.
• However, they also identified areas for improvement, such as the need for more advanced features for managing coordinated harassment campaigns and better integration with existing social media platforms.

Critical Analysis

• The researchers acknowledge the limitations of their study, such as the relatively small sample size and the potential for self-selection bias in the participant pool.
• Additionally, the study focused primarily on journalists' experiences and did not explore the broader societal implications of online harassment or potential interventions at a systemic level.
• Further research could examine the long-term effectiveness of tools like PressProtect, as well as explore the role of platform policies, moderation, and other institutional responses in addressing online harassment.

Conclusion

• This paper presents PressProtect, a tool designed to help journalists navigate the challenges of online harassment on social media.
• The researchers' insights from interviews with journalists and the subsequent user study suggest that PressProtect can be a valuable resource for journalists, providing personalized recommendations and a supportive community to help manage the impacts of online abuse.
• While the tool shows promise, the researchers identify areas for improvement and call for further research to address the complex and pervasive issue of online harassment targeting journalists and other public figures.

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