Analyzing Hateful Comments against Journalists on X in Pakistan

In this study, we investigated the prevalence and nature of hate speech in comments on the posts of Pakistani political journalists on X (formerly Twitter). We applied the mob censorship theory to analyze the hatred spread by commenters aiming to intimidate critical journalists. Our findings indicate that both male and female journalists received an unprecedented number of hateful comments, including life-threatening messages and highly dehumanizing and profane expressions. As anticipated, female journalists received a larger volume of hateful comments, primarily targeting their gender rather than their profession. Similarly, political posts attracted a higher number of negative comments compared to nonpolitical ones. We argue that the significant volume of online hate, mainly originating from the political sphere, was further fueled by existing socio-cultural practices. This escalation can render individuals more vulnerable to mob censorship and deter them from expressing their opinions independently on social media platforms.