Dr Rebecca Whittington
Online Safety Editor, Reach Plc
Dr Rebecca Whittington is the Online Safety Editor for Reach Plc, the UK’s largest commercial news publisher. She was appointed to the role, the first of its kind in the UK, to protect journalists from online harassment and harm. Rebecca also writes about online threats, campaigns for the online safety of women in journalism, and serves on the advisory committee for Women in Journalism and the employers’ sub-committee of the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists.
She has appeared as a guest on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and The Media Show and hosts her own podcast, Go Doxx Yourself, which explores the human stories behind cyber threats and helps listeners navigate their digital lives.
Rebecca was awarded a PhD by the University of Leeds in 2020. Her thesis, which examined the impact of digital tools on news reporting processes and on journalistic and brand identity at local newspapers in the UK, was recognised for research excellence.
Before joining Reach, Rebecca lectured in journalism at Leeds Trinity University and managed its BA Journalism programme. She also worked in local news across West Yorkshire, holding roles as journalist, videographer, news editor and editor.
