Impoliteness and morality as instruments of destructive informal social control in online harassment targeting Swedish journalists
(2023) In Language and Communication 93. p.172-187- Abstract
- 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,... (More)
- 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. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/ed8b8e50-0b42-447b-99e2-2b547764bab2
- author
- Björkenfeldt, Oscar LU and Gustafsson, Linnea
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023-11-17
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Impoliteness, Morality, online harassment, social control, Twitter, Anti-press, Journalism
- in
- Language and Communication
- volume
- 93
- pages
- 15 pages
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85178888361
- ISSN
- 0271-5309
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.langcom.2023.11.002
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- ed8b8e50-0b42-447b-99e2-2b547764bab2
- date added to LUP
- 2023-11-19 16:46:14
- date last changed
- 2024-01-04 10:47:11
@article{ed8b8e50-0b42-447b-99e2-2b547764bab2,
abstract = {{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.}},
author = {{Björkenfeldt, Oscar and Gustafsson, Linnea}},
issn = {{0271-5309}},
keywords = {{Impoliteness; Morality; online harassment; social control; Twitter; Anti-press; Journalism}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{11}},
pages = {{172--187}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Language and Communication}},
title = {{Impoliteness and morality as instruments of destructive informal social control in online harassment targeting Swedish journalists}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.langcom.2023.11.002}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.langcom.2023.11.002}},
volume = {{93}},
year = {{2023}},
}