#MeToo and sexual harassment among Swedish journalists: explanations, consequences, and strategies

Although the media played a pivotal role in the #MeToo movement, research on #MeToo and journalism has primarily examined journalists as news providers, leaving their own engagement with the movement underexplored. In Sweden, #MeToo was characterized by the formation of petition groups across diverse professions, including journalism. This article draws on qualitative analyses of petition texts and interviews to investigate how key actors in the Swedish journalism industry's #MeToo petition #Deadline conceptualize sexual harassment, assess the movement's consequences, and reflect on ongoing efforts toward gender equality. Findings reveal that participants frame sexual harassment as both a structural and cultural problem, with causes and remedies situated at societal and organizational levels. Precarious employment emerged as a significant risk factor. Moreover, professional norms, ideals, and self-perceptions hinder journalists' identification as activists or victims. A recurring explanation for the persistence of harassment is the “culture of silence”, which discourages employees from speaking out. In journalism, this silence is reinforced by specific cultural and structural conditions, alongside professional ideals such as toughness and objectivity. These findings highlight the importance of examining how processes on different levels co-construct gendered substructures, developing strategies that are sensitive to the specific organizational and cultural context of journalism.