A Vancouver crime reporter is talking about harassment of his work, something that began as a small story, but became a big problem for his perception of his health and safety.
Jeremy Hainsworth, a glacier media reporter, has been working in news for more than 30 years with an approach to crime and courts and says he has suffered abuse on the road.
“I have faced a lot of harassment, many vile comments, emails, threats, be spitting, that my tires be reduced, but I have never had what I perceived as death threats,” said Hainsworth of BC Provincial Court in Vancouver at the end of April.
‘He left me terrified’
All that changed two years ago when Hainsworth wrote a story about a Vancouver man about 40 years old who was convicted of causing a disturbance in Burger King in the center of Vancouver and resisting the police.
When the theme of the story read it, I was not happy according to Hainsworth and appeared in his office.
“It was aggressive, a threatening posture,” said Hainsworth. “I did not get involved. I went back in. Then the emails began … I received an email that said that I expected everyone to die terrifying deaths and that I wanted to see. That left me terrified.”
In the case of Hainsworth, he called the police, which led the officers to ask the man to stop contacting Hainsworth.
When that did not work, the journalist appealed to what he covers, the courts, and succeeded after a three -day trial to win a peace link, a postponement of 12 months of Christopher Sieres, 42, will contact him.
The Hainsworth saga reflects a continuous problem for journalists from all over Canada: unwanted harassment already generalized.
“I honestly hope … this man accepts the help he clearly needs,” said Hainsworth. “You know, I have made mistakes in my life and I can have compassion for people who need help.”
Sieres represented himself in court and argued that his emails and telephone to Hainsworth were not threatening. He promised the Court that he would comply with the restriction order for its duration of 12 months.
After the incessant harassment of a man was afraid of his son’s security, veteran announcer Jody Vance identified his abuser, arrested and accused of criminal harassment.
Hainsworth’s terrible experience is a family story for announcer Jody Vance, who faced harassment in the form of single -person emails for seven years.
“I thought it was part of the work. And since then I have learned that it is not part of the work and that it should not be part of the job,” he said.
Vance also appealed to the courts in his case, which ended in a statement of guilt for criminal harassment in 2023 by Richard Oliver, 53.
He received a high conditional, with 12 months of probation.
Vance is still in court on the case with a civil lawsuit seeking damage. She expects her legal action to eventually improve working conditions for other journalists.
“I want to protect those who want to be part of a free press in this country,” he said. “We know how important it is.
Trying to raise the profile of this problem are organizations such as the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), which reminds the public that the Charter of Canadian rights and freedoms protects the right of the press and other means to speak.
“It can be critical of people’s work, of course, but it does not mean that you have the right to harass them or make your life miserable,” said Caj president Brent Jolly.
He says that journalists who have to resort to courts in search of relief is an imperfect solution because, although it can be a deterrent element, it is not necessarily in the long term.
“Not necessarily prevents the person from doing it even after the fact,” he said.
The CAJ and other organizations are trying to support journalists with training in digital literacy and safety, together with support, some of you peers to pipeer and even a fund to help with the costs of dealing with harassment.
“We have to make sure we have the support systems and infrastructure there so that people continue to do their job and stay safe,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hainsworth hopes to move forward with his work and has a message for the people who would attack him.
“If you don’t like the facts of the situation, then go to the source of the facts,” he said. “Don’t go after the journalist. We are human beings. We have pain, we bleed, we have emotions and things like this are extremely painful and horrible to pass.”
