Three out of five journalists in the Netherlands say they have been intimidated or threatened while doing their jobs, and one in five experience this on a monthly basis, according to research for Dutch journalists’ union NVJ.

The number of threats has risen since the last research was carried out eight years ago, broadcaster NOS said.

The threats range from physical and verbal intimidation to threats on social media. The researchers say they are concerned that the rise means journalists will ignore certain stories because they are concerned about their physical safety.

Among the high profile cases raised in the report is the attempt by conspiracy theorist Tarik Z to take hostages in the NOS newsroom and threats made against the journalists working on Dutch Turkish paper Zaman Vandaag.