Wolverhampton businesswoman launches programme to support social media frontline after online abuse
A Wolverhampton businesswoman who faced a barrage of online harassment following being at the scene of a terror attack has launched a new programme. The Social Media Frontline is designed to help charities, organisations and business owners manage online hostility - whilst protecting the wellbeing of the people running their social media.
Created by PR and crisis communications consultant Emma Rushton, The Social Media Frontline responds to a growing and often overlooked challenge facing organisations with an online presence: people behind public facing social media accounts experiencing rising levels of trolling, abuse and hostility, yet being expected to manage it without training, support or clear boundaries.
The programme is aimed at charities, small business owners and larger organisations who rely on social media to promote themselves but are often underprepared for the personal, professional and reputational risks that come with visibility online.
The idea for The Social Media Frontline comes from both professional experience and lived reality. In 2016, after witnessing a terror attack in Berlin, Emma Rushton gave several news interviews - and was unprepared for the scale and intensity of online abuse that followed. The harassment escalated to the point of police involvement and had a lasting impact on her confidence, wellbeing and willingness to be visible online.
“I expected questions. I didn’t expect harassment,” she says. “There was no guidance, no support, and no conversation about how people are supposed to cope when they’re suddenly exposed online. I was left to deal with it alone.”
Emma Rushton has since spent more than a decade working across journalism, PR, crisis communications and social media strategy. She says the same pattern appears repeatedly across sectors - people tasked with managing public platforms are left to absorb hostility personally, while organisations focus on output, reputation and reach.
“Online hostility doesn’t just affect brands - it affects real people behind the screens. I have repeatedly seen charities and organisations place the burden of dealing with online abuse on individuals, and too often, those people are expected to ‘just deal with it’ without training, support or clear guidance on how they respond (or not) to these sorts of comments. Over time that can take a serious toll on someone’s mental wellbeing.
She adds that the impact is not only personal, but organisational. Fear of backlash can lead people to self censor, disengage or step away from roles entirely - and when hostility escalates, a lack of preparation can increase reputational risk rather than reduce it.
“I realised there was a gap, not just in how organisations respond publicly, but in how they support the people doing the work. I wanted to create something practical - something people can actually use - rather than just another conversation about resilience.”
The Social Media Frontline combines crisis communications strategy, social media risk awareness and lived experience. It’s a mini social media crisis communications guide that focuses on helping organisations put clear boundaries, protocols and support in place - so individuals are not left to navigate abuse alone, and organisations are better equipped when online situations escalate.
This isn’t about pretending online abuse doesn’t exist, it’s about giving people the tools, confidence and backing they need to show up online safely - and knowing what to do when things go wrong.
The programme will be introduced via a free online launch event on Monday, January 19, providing organisations with a first look at the guide and practical advice for protecting people on the social media frontline. People can register at: roseleighmedia.co.uk/talks-workshops-training/p/the-social-media-frontline-free-online-launch-event
