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Digital Dangers: Feminist Insights into Women Journalists' Experiences of Online Harassment in India

Chandel, Pragyaa orcid logoORCID: 0000-0002-5649-624X (2025) Digital Dangers: Feminist Insights into Women Journalists' Experiences of Online Harassment in India. PhD thesis, Dublin City University.

Abstract
Historically, humanity has witnessed the silencing of dissenting and vocal women across various spheres of life. In the contemporary world, this suppression has infiltrated the digital realm, where women journalists are often targeted with alarming intensity. The chilling implications of such digital harassment are transnational, with some of the most severe cases culminating in physical harm and even fatalities. The focus of analysis is on the pervasive issue of sexualized digital harassment and its profound impact on women journalists' professional and personal lives. I argue that such harassment not only affects their psycho-emotional well-being but also impairs their ability to work, generating fear, trauma, and self-censorship. While a global issue, the journalism industry in India is plagued by deep-rooted misogyny which is distinct from sexual harassment in its varied forms. Despite the dense and diverse media landscape, research on online harassment against women journalists in this region remains sparse. Moreover, much of the existing scholarship has historically focused on Western media, leaving the global south underrepresented in academic considerations. This study employs Feminist Standpoint Theory and Intersectionality as its analytical frameworks, thereby facilitating a nuanced understanding of how intersecting identities exacerbate the experiences of digital harassment. It applies a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative in-depth interviews. Quantitative data were collected from 183 participants through online surveys administered via Qualtrics, across multiple states in India. Subsequently, qualitative data were gathered through in-depth, in- person1 interviews, offering a comprehensive interpretation of the issue. The key findings reveal that, while only a small fraction of women journalists experience severe instances of online harassment, those who do face it endure its intensity, resulting in significant emotional and professional consequences. The study highlights the remarkable resilience demonstrated by these journalists, despite enduring these challenges. Furthermore, the interviews highlight the persistent role of Brahmanical Patriarchy as a unique and pervasive source of harassment for women journalists. The findings also reveal that caste dynamics vary across regions, with significant disparities in caste-based discrimination between North and South India, leading to distinct, region-specific challenges for journalists.
Metadata
Item Type:Thesis (PhD)
Date of Award:18 December 2025
Refereed:No
Supervisor(s):Ging, Debbie and Murrell, Colleen
Subjects:Social Sciences > Cyberbullying
Social Sciences > Communication
Social Sciences > Journalism
Social Sciences > Mass media
Social Sciences > Ethnicity
Social Sciences > Gender
Social Sciences > Identity
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Science
DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Science > School of Communications
Use License:This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. View License
ID Code:32082
Deposited On:20 Apr 2026 10:06 by Debbie Ging . Last Modified 20 Apr 2026 10:06
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