Online harassment against women journalists: a threat for the Spanish democracy
Author
Cañameras Muñoz, Ariadna
Term
4. term
Publication year
2020
Abstract
This thesis examines the scope, nature, and consequences of online harassment and hate speech targeting women journalists in Spain. Using a qualitative design, it combines a thematic qualitative text analysis of tweets directed at five journalists (Ana Pastor, Elisa Beni, Pepa Bueno, Beatriz Talegón, and Mamen Mendizábal) over one week with a case study of Cristina Fallarás. The analysis finds that the messages cluster into seven categories - gender, sexual experience, physical appearance, intellectual capacity, mental stability, threats, and general insults - which mirror historical mechanisms of women’s subordination. The case study shows that involvement by political figures and public authorities can intensify abuse and deepen psychological impacts, including humiliation, anger, fear, and loneliness, compounded by limited institutional responses. These pressures lead to self-censorship, as journalists moderate, drop, or avoid coverage, constraining news production, participation in the public sphere, and the free flow of information. In Spain’s polarized environment, the study identifies gendered online harassment as a threat to freedom of expression and the press, and therefore to democratic discourse.
Denne afhandling undersøger omfang, karakter og konsekvenser af online chikane og hadefuld tale mod kvindelige journalister i Spanien. Med en kvalitativ tilgang kombinerer den tematisk tekstanalyse af Twitter-henvendelser rettet mod fem journalister (Ana Pastor, Elisa Beni, Pepa Bueno, Beatriz Talegón og Mamen Mendizábal) over en uge med et casestudie af Cristina Fallarás. Analysen viser, at omtalerne falder i syv kategorier - køn, seksuel erfaring, fysisk fremtoning, intellektuel kapacitet, mental stabilitet, trusler og generelle fornærmelser - som afspejler historiske mekanismer for kvinders underordning. Casestudiet viser, at indblanding fra politiske aktører og offentlige myndighedspersoner kan eskalere angrebene og forstærke de psykologiske følger, herunder ydmygelse, vrede, frygt og ensomhed, forværret af manglende respons fra myndigheder. Disse pres fører til selvcensur, hvor journalister modererer, udskyder eller opgiver dækning, hvilket hæmmer nyhedsproduktion, deltagelse i den offentlige debat og den frie informationsstrøm. I en polariseret spansk kontekst identificerer afhandlingen kønsbaseret online chikane som en trussel mod ytrings- og pressefrihed og dermed mod demokratiets funktion.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]