This is a free event. Please register via the SSP site here: https://customer.sspnet.org/ssp/EventDisplayNPGF.aspx?EventKey=WEB260225

SSP Community Town Hall: Standing Together Against Bullying: Creating Respectful, Safe, and Supportive Professional Communities in Scholarly Publishing

Bullying and harassment, whether overt or subtle, have no place in scholarly publishing. Yet many professionals across editorial offices, publishing organizations, and volunteer-driven societies still encounter behaviors that undermine psychological safety, limit inclusion, and erode trust. To help our community address these challenges with clarity, compassion, and shared purpose, leaders from four major organizations—the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP), the International Society of Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP), the International Society of Managing and Technical Editors (ISMTE), and the Council of Science Editors (CSE)—are coming together for an open, solutions-focused Town Hall.

This discussion will explore what bullying looks like across professional settings, including social media and other digital communication spaces, workplaces, volunteer committees, conferences, and other interactions, and why addressing it is essential to maintaining integrity, equity, and excellence in our community. Conversation will focus on the policies, practices, and cultural commitments these organizations are putting in place to foster respectful engagement and to support individuals who experience inappropriate behavior.

Attendees will gain insight into constructive conflict resolution, bystander intervention, and leadership strategies that promote healthier team and community dynamics. The webinar will also highlight opportunities for collaboration across societies to establish shared expectations for conduct and to strengthen accountability across the publishing ecosystem.

This session will provide practical tools and a united message for everyone: creating a safe and welcoming environment is everyone’s responsibility, and it is achievable when we work together. 

Speakers

Rebecca McLeod, Managing Director, Harvard Data Science Review, Harvard Data Science Initiative

Jennifer Regala, Senior Director, Publishing and Product Development, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Emilie Gunn, Journals Director, American Society of Clinical Oncology and President, Council of Science Editors

Randy Townsend, Associate Professor, The George Washington University

David Allen, Senior Partner, A&M Editorial Solutions