In the fourth installment of the #IAS_NUQ AIMS Virtual Seminar Series, Sarah El-Richani, assistant professor of mass communications at the American University in Cairo, underscored the disturbing prevalence of digital violence targeting women journalists, particularly in Lebanon.
She asserted that the digital realm, often considered a space for open dialogue, is marred by a disconcerting trend: violence against women who dare to venture into traditionally male-dominated domains. El-Richani highlighted that Lebanon, with its patriarchal legislative, social, and political systems, provides an especially challenging backdrop for women journalists.
El-Richani labeled this disturbing trend "mob censorship," a term crafted by Sylvio Waisbord to describe rising cases of “bottom-up, citizen vigilantism aimed at disciplining journalism.” The gravity of the situation in the digital realm has led the International Federation of Journalists to advocate for the recognition of digital violence as a critical health and safety issue within the media industry.
Building on insights from Tufts University Professor Sarah Sobieraj’s book Credible Threat: Attacks Against Women Online and the Future of Democracy, El-Richani discerned three intertwined tactics employed against women journalists: intimidation, shaming, and discrediting. Her presentation touched on the resilience of these women journalists, highlighting both their coping mechanisms and the strategies they deploy to counter harassment.
Supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Arab Media and Information Studies (AIMS) project at #IAS_NUQ is developing the field of critical media and information studies in the Arab region, transforming it into a more interdisciplinary, multilingual, collaborative, research-oriented, and policy-relevant field.
