Thread by @ICFJ

For #IWD, we’re spotlighting the shocking #onlineviolence campaign against Indian journalist @RanaAyyub, which our research team’s studying with @SheffieldUni computer scientists. Since 2019, we’ve collected & analyzed 8.5million tweets directed @ the @washingtonpost columnist

Maligned, condemned, reviled & repeatedly threatened with rape & murder, @ranaayyub is the target of an orchestrated campaign of #onlineviolence with links to India’s ruling party, in which disinformation tactics and hate speech are clearly evident theguardian.com/world/2022/feb… #IWD

Today, we’re publishing the first insights from our research into the internationally emblematic case of #onlineviolence against @RanaAyyub. She is attacked:
1. For her critical independent journalism
2. For her gender
3. Because of her Muslim faith #IWD

According to our research, one of the most prevalent abuse terms hurled @RanaAyyub is the misogynistic portmanteau #presstitute, a pernicious hybrid word which originated in India & is designed to discredit women journalists both professionally & personally #IWD.

When we examined all uses of the abusive term #presstitute in our dataset of tweets directed @RanaAyyub, we found clear evidence that in addition to misogyny, Ayyub is also subjected to prolific #onlineviolence at the intersection of religious bigotry & racism #IWD

@ranaayyub experiences very significant intersectional #onlineviolence, the term used to describe threats, harassment & abuse which is multilayered, and leveraging multiple forms of discrimination in addition to misogyny to attack the targeted journalist #IWD

The impacts of prolific intersectional #onlineviolence against @RanaAyyub have been severe. She’s been doxxed, stalked, threatened by digital lynch mobs, & afraid for her life. But she refuses to be silenced & credits her survival to support from the international community #IWD

Last week, the legal harassment @ranaayyub experiences escalated again, with a new case being filed against her for “hurting Hindu sentiments” in connection with a @BBCNews interview in which she critiqued attacks on Muslim women #IWD

https://twitter.com/RanaAyyub/status/1499780745690501120?s=20&t=5VIC_5aHXPybCiuHjbeLOA

This follows international condemnation of state-linked legal harassment against @RanaAyyub, including a statement in defence of Ayyub from two UN Special Rapporteurs @irenekhan & @marylawlorHRDs #IWD ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/…

The big data case study we’re producing on @RanaAyyub is part of the #OnlineViolence Early Warning System project. The project also focuses on women journalists in Lebanon, Malta, Mexico, and South Africa #IWD icfj.org/news/towards-e… #IWD

The project builds on the #OnlineViolence study led by @ICFJ for @UNESCO, adopting the methodology for the big data case studies produced for that study which were focused on @MariaRessa & @CaroleCadwalladr en.unesco.org/sites/default/… #IWD

@UNESCO @mariaressa Note: CaroleCadwalladr is @carolecadwalla.