Mobs, Crowds, and Trolls: Theorizing the Harassment of Journalists in the Philippines

Abstract

Using the Philippines as a case study, we draw on crowd theory to understand how and why online mobs gather to harass reporters. Under Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency, his administration and supporters targeted independent journalism using violent tactics online and offline, including threats of rape, death, and doxing. Yet, when online mobs harass reporters it is not simply an extension of state censorship. Rather, understanding the dynamics that spur regular social media users to take part in anti-press mobs requires a less hierarchical approach. Nor can we simply blame technology for facilitating mob censorship. We argue that crowds are formed from the bottom up, are loosely organized, and intensely felt. These crowds do not necessarily share goals or identities despite their collective affect and aesthetics. Instead, more sustained types of subjectivity emerge from involvement in the crowd. Ultimately, journalism studies can benefit from the insights of crowd theory that emphasize the plasticity of the subject and the ways in which ideas and feelings spread in rapid and unpredictable ways online.