Oscar Björkenfeldt
Doctoral student
Impoliteness and morality as instruments of destructive informal social control in online harassment targeting Swedish journalists
Author
Summary, in English
This study investigates the interplay between morality, impoliteness, and moral order in the online harassment of Swedish journalists on Twitter. It reveals how impoliteness serves as a tool to harm the media's epistemic credibility, rooted in anti-press and populist rhetoric, and exert destructive informal social control. The highlighted paradox is that provisions for freedom of speech, designed to protect, are paradoxically used to suppress journalists' voices through targeted insults and derogatory language. The study uncovers that such harassment is systematic, politically motivated, and morally grounded. We emphasize the urgent need to recognize and confront these subtle tactics that threaten journalistic freedom and, consequently, access to information in Sweden and internationally under growing criticism that seeks to delegitimize the media.
Department/s
- Department of Sociology of Law
Publishing year
2023-11-17
Language
English
Pages
172-187
Publication/Series
Language and Communication
Volume
93
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Elsevier
Topic
- Media and Communications
- Sociology (excluding Social Work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology)
Keywords
- Impoliteness
- Morality
- online harassment
- social control
- Anti-press
- Journalism
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0271-5309